How to Lose a Bird
by Atatami
Summary: There is a bounty on a certain birds head, and Batman is determined to figure out why, and who put it there. But, being his usual self, he neglects to tell Robin about this information. Eventually, Robin gets suspicious, as his mentor and team have both seemed to be ignoring and neglecting him, and decides to take matters into his own hands. That was a very big mistake.
1. Prologue

The dark clouds loomed over Gotham in a hazy fog, reflecting the city perfectly. Loud sirens rang through the air along with the never-ending sound of vehicles as people raced to get home. After all, their was one absolute rule in the crime ridden city; Never go out alone at night. That is, unless you can protect yourself, are a criminal, or a certain Dynamic Duo.

As the sun seemed to be setting, (with the dark clouds, most normal people couldn't even tell where the sun was, but the people of Gotham were used to their gloomy city) more and more people disappeared from the streets.

And then, when the moon was faintly visible in the sky, the streets were almost deserted. Apart from the people who had to work night shifts. Those were always the ones they had to worry about.

The lights from the street lamps and buildings seemed to fill the dark city with life. At least to those who didn't know what city were looking at. But there was one building in particular that always caught every passerbys attention.

On top of one of the tallest buildings in the city were giant letters that blazed a dazzling white light. The word 'Wayne' overlooked the city as if it was a protector, and in some ways, that was true.

But what most people missed were the two shadows that sat atop of the white letters, watching over their city of crime.

One was big and burly, with a large cape fluttering behind it. The other had a small frame but was similar to the previous, and was almost dwarfed by the shadow next to him. Some would say he looked like a kid. And those people would not be wrong.

The Duo sat perched upon the sign for a long time, waiting for something to sound in their communicators.

"Why is tonight so quiet? Usually by now there's at least some petty burglar trying to rob a bank or something." the smaller figure exclaimed, but only earned a glance from the man next to him.

"And it's good that we haven't heard anything yet." the man simply stated in a gravely voice. The small shadow beside him groaned and leaned back on the letter 'N' that he was perched upon.

"Yeah, I guess. But I was kinda hoping to get some action tonight. Let's just say school hasn't been treating me well the past few days." The boys voice was on the verge of a pout, which made the shadow next to him force back a smirk. But the shadow of a smirk quickly disappeared when he heard about his wards school troubles.

"Be patient Robin. Knowing Gotham, this is just the calm before the storm."

Then, as if on que, both of their communicators alerted them of people who were trying to break into the Museum.

The smaller shadow, Robin, smiled in delight.

"Finally." he mumbled, gracefully jumping down and onto the roof of the building, his mentor right behind him.

"C'mon! Let's go show them the power of Batman and Robin!" Robin exclaimed as he ran towards the edge of the building, grabbing his grappling hook from the utility belt he carried. Batman followed his lead, unable to hide his smirk at his young protègè.

Without another word, they both shot their grapples to a nearby building, making their way to the Museum, on a mission to protect their beloved city. No matter the cost.

"You're going to pay for this Bird brain! You here me!" Artemis exclaimed through the mountain as she held up a bright purple version of her suit.

Kaldur, who was sitting on the couch reading, only gave Artemis a questionable glance as the Atlantian returned to his book.

The young archer growled as the familiar cackle of a certain bird rang through the rafters, making it impossible to figure out where he was.

Then, beside Artemis, a fast breeze pasted by, and before she knew it, her suit was ripped from her hands and a red headed, freckle-faced boy was infront of her. He took one look at the suit and burst out laughing, dropping the purple suit to the floor.

"Wow, nice one Rob! I wish I would have done it!" he exclaimed, earning another cackle from the rafters.

The blonde huffed and grabbed her suit off of the floor.

"Shut it Wally!" she yelled in Wally's face, and making the ginger laugh harder.

Wally wiped away his tears, and was still slightly giggling as Artemis stomped back to her room. There was a loud grunt of irritation, then her door could be heard slamming shut.

And as soon as it was closed, Wally noticed the new presence that was beside him, giggling just as he was.

"Why'd you have to leave me out of that Rob!?" Wally pouted playfully as he turned towards the giggling boy next to him and pushed him lightly in the shoulder.

"If I let you in on it then you would have revealed it way too soon. And I wanted her to take her sweet time figuring it out." Robin, who had stopped giggling, shrugged nonchalantly as if he didn't just anger the archer.

"Wait, when did you dye it?" Wally asked him.

Robin gave him a wicked and mysterious smirk in return.

"Over three weeks ago."

Wally just gaped at him as he made his way to the Zeta tubes. Then he ran back up to the ebony haired boy.

"Dude, how did you keep that hidden for three weeks?!" the speedster asked amazed.

Robin just gave him another smirk.

"A bat never reveals his secrets." was all that he said before the Zeta beam activated, and he disappeared in the flash of light.

"Why was Artemis shouting? I could feel her anger." Wally and Kaldur both looked toward the garage, where Superboy and Miss Martian were emerging from.

"Ask KF. He was the one complaining that he wasn't the cause of her anger." Kaldur calmly explained, taking his eyes off of the pages of his book.

"That's a first." Superboy mumbled, more so grunted, as he passed Wally and went to the kitchen and began to wash grease off of his hands.

"Hey, I don't make her mad all the time!" Wally retaliated.

"Yes you do." was the immediate reply from all of the three teams. Wally finally sighed in defeat.

"Rob dyed Blondie's suit purple three weeks ago and she just found out about it."

In response, Superboy just grunted and rolled his eyes. M'gann giggled, but whether it was directed to Robins antics or the clones reaction, the rest of the team weren't sure.

"Well, I hope Artemis will be able to get the dye out." M'gann said sweetly as she flew towards her room. Wally scoffed.

"Doubt it. Knowing the Boy Blunder, he would have used permenant dye." After saying this, Wally turned into a blur and was next seen sitting on the couch with a bag of chips and the TV remote in his hand.

Wally turned on the TV, and the team went back to doing their own thing, Robins prank still fresh in their mind.

Especially Artemis's. As shown by the occasional cuss as she hopelessly scrubbed at her suit, trying to get the purple out. In the end, it was not worth the trouble.

"Robin Bo1" the monotonous voice announced throughout the cavern.

The young boy walked confidently in the dimly lit cave, having been accustom to the darkness. Robin still had a small smile on his face from what happened only minutes earlier. Her reaction was better than he had anticipated. To put it simply; Artemis was definetly not whelmed, not whelmed at all.

He stopped walking when he saw a note on the giant computer monitor. Curious, he reached up to grab the slip of paper.

Went out. Don't go on patrol tonight. Eat dinner and get to bed at a reasonable time please. You have school tommorow.

~B

Robin silently wondered what Bruce had gone out for. It was still to early to go out on patrol, (as Batman sometimes left the boy home) and as far as he knew, Bruce didn't have any buisness meetings.

He was about to investigate when someone called him from above.

"Master Dick. Dinner is ready." he heard his faithful butler, friend, and grandfather figure shout. Dick smiled at the mention of food. He hadn't eaten anything all day, due to the fact he was training and fooling around at the mountain, and frankly, he was starving.

So, with the note still in the back of his mind, he changed into his civvies. He then ran upstairs and was greeted with the sweet aroma of pasta. Dick smiled even wider, and briskly opened the grandfather clock, speed walking to the dining room through the huge manor. He had memorized the massive building in two days after he arrived all those years ago, and was soon at his destination. And he was delighted by what he saw.

He entered with Alfred placing a plate of spaghetti on the massive dining table. He mentally noted that it was only one plate, when usually there were two. One for him, and another for Bruce.

"Where's Bruce?" Dick asked casually as he plopped down onto the chair and began to dig into his meal, Alfred giving him a small smirk at his childlike behavior, but it also held a hint of disapproval. He was a very classy Englishman after all.

"Master Bruce had business to attend to." Alfred said simply, purposefully not explaining any details. But he already knew what the ebony was going to ask next.

"What kind of buisness?" strings of noodles were falling out of the boys mouth as he said this, as Dick did not bother to chew.

Alfred sighed. But he had already come up with an excuse.

"Do not speak with food in your mouth, Master Dick. And it was work related buisness."

Dick raised an eyebrow at him.

"But he doesn't have anything scheduled." the boy said and mentally smirked to himself, knowing he had run the old man into a corner.

"It was an unexpected work problem. Nothing too serious, but he was still needed. Now eat your dinner while I go clean up the kitchen."

Without another word, the butler left the dining room, leaving a curious boy. Reluctantly, he ate the rest of his meal like a normal person, and was about to confront Alfred about his lies when Dick realized he didn't have to. He was Robin, he could figure out what was going on by himself.

With a smirk plastered on his face, he made his way back down to the infamous Batcave. He didn't bother to change into his uniform. He disabled the Zeta beam to all but Batman anyway. No one would walk in on him without having to break in, which would be next to impossible.

He plopped himself down onto the big chair in front of the Batcomputer, and immediately started to type.

Before long, he discovered that there really was no emergency at 'Wayne Tech', and Bruce Wayne had not been there at all that day. He confirmed his suspicions about Bruce leaving not being a work emergency, but it could have been a different type of work emergency.

So, he checked all the recent news on Batman, The Justice Leage, and all of their villains. And came up with nothing. That was until a article came up that was only an hour old.

He looked at what the headline was, and frowned in realization on why Batman didn't want Robin to join him on the mission. It was because it involves the Clown Prince of Crime. The Joker.

The article said that The Joker had overtaken Arkham Asylum and was on a murder spree. Killing any innocent officer, doctor, nurse, or visitor he saw. The article didn't go into very many details, but Dick knew it must be bad. It didn't help that the other patients were helping to kill them all.

Dick leaned back on the chair and sighed. He knew that Bruce just wanted to keep him safe from really dangerous missions such as these, but he still hated it when he wasn't allowed to go with him when it involves The Joker.

Obviously, though, Robin had fought the Joker before. And had gone through some unspeakable things he would like to keep hidden. But that was only when the Clown was not originally a part of the mission.

And Dick knew how to handle himself. Didn't Bruce see that? He could help.

But despite his urge to go and help his mentor, he knew that he shouldn't. Bruce knows what he is doing.

Dick knew that being a young hero in one of the most dangerous cities in the world put a target on his back. And being the protègè to the Bat himself made that target even bigger. Criminals would most likely use him to get to Batman, and Dick knew that all too well. Which is also a reason why Batman never allowed him to go on missions involving the Clown, knowing that his worst enemy would do horrible things to the boy if he got his hands on Robin. And just to get under his skin.

Bruce would tell him if he was in any imminent danger from anyone, though. Dick knew that if any threat was made against him he would be alerted, especially by any of the worst baddies.

The boy then rubbed his eyes, unaware of how tired he was actually becoming. Looking at the clock on the computer screen, he groaned. It showed that it was three in the morning.

This would definetely not count as getting to bed at a reasonable time.

So, not wanting Bruce to be angry when he got home, he trudged up the stairs and went to his room.

But as he slept soundly in his bed, his mentor was fighting vigorously with his arch-enemy, just on the other side of the city.

 **WOOO!** **Prologue done! And, geez, it's long! DO NOT expect every chapter to be this length! (I mean, maybe they will be...you never know...) Anyway, hope you liked the beginning of this story and stick around to find out what happens with Batman and Joker in the next chapter!**

 **Bye!**

 **P.s. IM SO FRIGGIN EXCITED TO BE WRITING THIS AND FOR HAVING YOUNG JUSTICE SEASON THREE!! AAAAAAHHHHH!**


	2. Chapter 1

Screams and manical laughter filled the air as Batman arrived at the scene. The frown that usually plastered his face deepened as he ran to the entrance of the Arkham Asylum. When he finally got past enough mentally unstable people, he burst through the door.

The whites of his cowl slitted, and he let a low growl escape his lips. It was much worse than he previously thought.

Dead corpses of all kinds littered the ground. Police, guards, nurse's, doctors, patients; all of them unfortunate enough to be caught in the crossfire of The Joker. All of their bodies were beaten to a bloody pulp, and had the signature smile of The Joker carved into their faces. The stench of blood and other bodily fluids was very prominent, and almost made the Caped Crusader gag. Almost.

Not wanting to see the tragic way the people lost their lives any longer, he sprinted into the hallways. Which were not much better than the entryway.

Blood was splattered on the walls, and more corpses were lying on the ground.

As the Bat ran through the twisting and turning hallways, his hands clenched into tight fists. That madman was going to pay for what he had done, he was going to make sure of that.

The screams of victims and the laughter of the insane echoed through the halls, making it even more spine chilling in the already menacing Asylum. There was no doubt that this was the worst break-out for the clown so far.

In his previous escapes, The Joker would just make his mark on some of the people there, then get the hell away from that infernal place. But this was overkill, even for the Clown Prince of Crime.

There had to be something more to his madness. There always seemed to be.

As Batman finally rounded a corner into where he heard the Joker was currently at, a punch came flying from the corner.

Reacting, he quickly dodged the fist, and crouched down into a fighting stance before analyzing his attacker. To the Dark Nights suprise, he was greeted by nothing but shadows that extended to the end of the corridor, where a lone door stood. Slightly confused, he continued down the hallway wearily, watching every corner and crevice for movement.

Then, without warning, a large foot hit Batman's back, causing him to stumble before regaining his balance. He turned around, and was not greeted by shadows anymore. It was more like a singular shadow.

In front of the Bat stood an assassin for the Leage of Shadows. The Shadow was in a battle stance as well. It seemed to be waiting for him to make the first move. Most likely to search for an opening as soon as the Dark Night attacked. But, being the highly intelligent man he was, he refused to make a move, knowing it was a trap, and chose instead to keep defensive.

But the gears were still turning in his head. Why would a member of the Leage of Shadows bother with The Joker? Previously, they had never allied themselves, so naturally, Batman was curious.

Plus, he didn't really see how the Leage would gain anything from this supposed "alliance" with a crazed lunatic.

"I see you are curious as to why I was sent here." the assassin said in the same robotic tone that all of the Shadows used.

Batman didn't reply, instead deciding that he had enough waiting for an attack to come. He threw a fist at the ominous figure clad in black, and it connected.

The Shadow grunted from the contact and was thrown back, but quickly did a back handspring to get back onto his feet.

"Not very polite I see." the Shadow muttered, now launching a full blown attack on the other.

The Shadow was smaller and more nimble than the Bat in front of him, and he used that to his advantage. He threw kicks and punches the others way, and occasionally made contact, making the larger man grunt.

But before the figure could land anymore hits, Batman pulled out three bat-a-rangs and threw them at the Shadow.

He skillfully dodged the first two, but the third lodged itself into his shoulder blade. With a grunt of pain, the Shadow looks to his shoulder and pulls out the object, looking back to a seemingly frustrated Batman.

And frustrated the Bat was. He needed to catch Joker before he escaped for good, and he was now stuck fighting the assassin. It's times like these bringing Robin along would be helpful. He could deal with him while he went ahead to deal with the bigger threat.

But bringing the boy into something this dangerous would not be smart. He knew that the ebony could easily get hurt, or worse. And the Caped Crusader didn't even want to think about what 'worse' could imply.

Slightly shuddering at his thoughts, (although it is not noticeable to the other) Batman launched another fist at the Shadow. But instead of connecting, it simply struck air.

Grunting, he looked around for where the shadow could have gone, but he was no where to be seen. Sighing slightly, the Bat turned to the other direction, mind set on finding bigger fish to fry than a simple assassin.

But as he reached the door, he felt a presence behind him. Thinking on his feet, he did a leg sweep, only to see the Shadow once again back handspring out of the way.

The Bat growled, and was about to just leave the assassin and make his way to The Joker, when the figure started to speak.

"Hey, you might want to know why I came. And I came to warn you. You better watch your back. Both of yours. Cause someone is after something you have, and they will not stop until they get what they want."

These words sent slight shivers down Batman's back, but he quickly shook it off. He looked back again to find the Shadow gone. Most likely he disappeared into the shadows and made his escape. Good. The Dark Knight didn't want to deal with him any longer.

But his words still rang in the back of his mind as he continued through the door, only to find another long corridor.

He started down the hall, utterly lost in thought. He couldn't deny it. What the Shadow had said had disturbed him, but he couldn't come up with a reason why it did so.

As Batman, and even as Bruce Wayne, he was threatened many times before. Whether they are death threats, or simply empty threats that he knew would not be fulfilled, he had grown accustom to them. But something about the threat that the Shadow directed at him didn't sit right, and no matter how hard he tried to ignore the bad feeling rising in his gut, his mind simply wouldn't allow it.

Then it finally clicked why he might have been uneasy about this particular threat. The shadow said 'both of you', implying that Batman himself was not the only one being targeted. And he had a good idea who the threat was also made out to.

This made his stomach twist even more, but rather than his usual 'overprotective daddy-bats' twist, it was something much more nauseating.

But the Bat put all of these thoughts aside when he heard a familiar cackle echo across the white tiles walls. Stopping in his tracks, he stayed still to listen.

And it happened again. Only this time it was accompanied by a tortured and strangled scream.

Running into action, the Caped Crusader sprinted through a door to his left, and was met with a sight that was all to familiar. Yet it shouldn't have been.

He was now standing on the outside of the Asylum once again, having sprinted through a side door. Standing before him was the infamous Joker and his goons, who were all wearing different suits and masks. All of them were completely random. One of them even had the nerve to wear a mask of the Dark Knight himself. Batman mentally noted to punch that one harder than the others.

The Bat then turned his attention back to the Joker. He was standing over a young women, who couldn't be older than twenty-five, with a crazed smile adorning his hellish features. The women was lying on the ground motionless, her terrified eyes glossed over and staring into an abyss. Blood ran from the smile marks that had just been carved.

"Joker." The Dark Knight all but growled, getting the madmans attention, along with his goons.

The Joker smiled even wider at the sight of his favorite Bat.

"Batsy! I was wondering if you were ever going to join the party!" the phycopath exclaimed, throwing his arms out dramatically.

"No games." Batman growled, getting into a battle stance and he waited for the goons to inevitably attack him.

The Joker laughed. But it wasn't filled with an ounce of humor.

"Still a man of few words I see. Well, no matter. We can still have a jolly time, just like always. Right guys!"

He gestured to the goons who were standing behind him, and they all nodded their heads frantically.

"See! Now, let's have some fun, shall we?"

With these words, all of the goons brought up their weapons, which ranged from guns, knifes, to even nun-chucks. And then a split second later, they all charged at the Bat.

Joker laughed like no tomorrow on the sidelines while Batman took out each goon one by one as if it was clockwork. Which it possibly could be for him.

Finally, after only a few minutes of fighting. all of the goons were on the ground, either unconscious or writhing in pain and unable to stand.

Batman had sustained little injuries. Some bruises, and knife wound to the shoulder, and possibly a broken nose, but nothing too serious.

And, looking over his handy work, he turned to face the Clown, who had grown suspiciously silent. The Bat was immediately met by a throwing knife aimed right at his head. On instinct, he quickly side-stepped out of the way. The knife flew harmlessly past, embedding itself in the wall behind.

He looked again to the Joker, who now wore a wicked and malicious smile, but had ceased his obnoxious laughter. In his right hand he held another throwing knife, twirling it skillfully in his fingers. In his other hand was a very large buck knife. But what caught Batman's eye was the color scheme of the hilt.

Red, Yellow, and black. Just like a certain bird.

"Y'know, I had this made with the intention of carving a bird. But, seeing as there are none around, I guess I'll just have to settle with cutting the wings off of a bat!" The Clown Prince exclaimed, charging at the Dark Knight with both knifes raised.

As he ran toward his foe, the Clown threw the throwing knife at the Bats torso. Again, Batman avoided it with ease, but the Joker was now right in front of him, buck knife raised.

The Joker attempted to stab him in the right shoulder, around the same area where the other knife injury was, but Batman dodged. In the process, he threw a quick punch towards the clowns gut.

But the Joker was quick to react, and dodged the fist, bringing his leg up and attempting to roundhouse kick him afterwards.

This failed, and the Bat grabbed his leg, twisting it in a very painful way, then dropped him to the ground. The Joker didn't seem fazed by this though, and instead of writhing in pain, he started to laugh.

Just as Batman was about to snatch him up by his shirt collar, Joker twisted out of the way and stabbed the Bat right in his left calf.

The Dark Knight grunted in pain as he pulled the knife out of his leg in haste. But before he could recover, the psycotic clown threw volley after volley of punches at the Bat.

Caught off guard, the Joker managed to land some hits, but Batman recovered quickly.

Knife still in hand, the Bat grabbed one of the Jokers fists and swipped upwards towards the clowns face with the knife. It made a huge slash across his face, and the Joker was forced to stop the assult on his foe to grab his face.

Laughing, he pulled his hands away. His face was covered in blood, as we're his gloved hands.

But before the madman could recover from the wound, the Bat rammed him into a nearby concrete wall. He pinned the clown there by placing his forearm across his neck. He applied pressure so Joker couldn't escape, but not enough to strangle him.

A forced laugh escaped the Jokers lips as he looked at the Caped Crusader with a crazed stare.

"It's over Joker. You're not getting away this time." the Bat growled, pushing his forearm harder against the clown as a precaution for escape.

The Joker then spattered blood onto the Bats face, earning another punch from the Bats free hand.

"Oh, no, it's not nearly close to being over. At least, that's not what the talk I've been hearing around my little villain colleges says." Joker says nonchalantly.

Despite knowing that this was just one of the clowns many games to buy time, the Bat couldn't help being curious as to what he meant.

"What talk?" he spat, making the Jokers grin widen.

"Didn't you hear, Batsy? From that look on your face, it looks like you haven't."

Batman was now growing irritated by the Joker antics. All he wanted was straight to the point answers.

"What. Talk." he growls out once again, making the Joker laugh.

"About your little birdie! He's got a bounty on his head Batsy, and it's a big one! Someone could retire at age sixteen from all the money being offered."

At this, the Bats already present frown deepened immensely.

First the Shadow warned him about watching their backs. And now he learns that his precious Robin has a potentially billion dollar bounty on his head? Things seemed a bit too fishy for his liking, and he was now worried about his young bird.

Who would want him? And what for?

Obviously, all of the villains of Gotham were very obvious suspects, but it could just as easily be someone else. If he wanted to crack this case, he needes more information.

So, instead of bringing to clown to justice, he decided to poke and prod to see what other answers he could learn from the Joker. Whether they were true is debatable, but it's the only chance he currently has at getting potentially vital information about the danger his young protègè was in.

"Who set the bounty." he demanded, and the Joker shrugged like they were just two buddies discussing something totally normal.

"Me, personally, I don't know. But I can assure you that you and your little bird are in trouble. Very big trouble."

Just as the Bat was just about to ask another question to the madman, the Joker started speaking once again, a mischievous grin on his bloody face.

"But I would be more worried about yourself right now Batsy. After all, it's about to become a bit dizzy."

Then, as Batman was going to prepare himself for an escape attempt, something sharp pierced through his Kevlar suit, and he was forced to let the madman go.

He held his head in agony as the affects of whatever he had been subjected to began. His vision was clouding with black dots, and he could barely see the psychopath in front of him.

Collapsing from the pain and his sudden dizziness, he faintly made out a cackle from the Joker.

"Well, it was fun playing with you, but I gotta city to run into chaos. Till' we meet again, my dear friend."

With these barely audible words, Batman witnessed the Joker walk away, his muffled laughter filling his ears.

Determined, the Bat tried to get up, but found it futile, as he just as soon collapsed back onto the cold, hard dirt.

His vision now almost completely blocked out and his eyelids dropping down steadily, he had one last thought before he completely passed out from the Jokers drug.

What's going to happen to Robin? 

**Holy crap! Almost 3,000 words! That HAS to be a new record for me. That aside, hope you liked the chapter! Also, sorry, I'm not that good at writing action and I'm trying a new style to get better, but I'm still learning! Hopefully I'll see you all in the next chapter!**

 **Oh, and before I forget, I would really appreciate some feedback to tell me how the story is going. I was a bit hesitant to publish this, so any feedback at all would be helpful. Bye!**


	3. Chapter 2

Dick awoke to the familiar cry of his alarm clock. He let it ring for a few more seconds, silently hoping it was just his imagination, but finally sighed and brought out his arm from his bed sheets.

His room was relatively warm, but the sudden rush of air on his arm still gave him goosebumps. He slammed his hand down onto the small machine, and groaned when he looked at the time. It was five thirty in the morning. But no one could really tell, as the sun had not even begun to rise yet.

Even though he had been conditioned enough to get used to waking up this early, it doesn't mean Dick enjoyed it.

Groaning, he threw the covers off of him and they slid to the floor. Dick sat up in his bed hastily, and ignoring the massive headrush he attempted to rub the drowsiness from his eyes.

When it finally felt as though he was awake enough, Dick flung his legs over the side of his bed and touched his feet to the floor. Luckily, it was carpet, so his feet didn't freeze on any wooden floor.

Still tired, he managed to stand up and attempt to stretch all of the stiff muscles in his body. He twisted his body in ways only an acrobat or gymnast could, then made his way to the bathroom to wake up more. He silently cursed his massive room for making him walk the distance to the small room.

He took a shower and did his buisness, then got dressed in his Gotham Academy uniform. It consisted of tan dress pants, expensive shoes, and a suit-like shirt with a blue tie to finish the look. To be perfectly honest, Dick absolutely hated the way it looked on him, and was way to formal for his liking.

But he toughed it out and attempted to make the tie straight, groaning when it didn't follow his commands.

Finally, after minutes of struggling with the infernal blue cloth, Dick got it in the perfect position. Grinning to himself, he walked out of the bathroom silently and looked at the clock once again. It was now six fourth five, and he sighed at how long it took him to get ready.

Dick knew in the back of his mind that he took just as long as a girl to get ready, and mentally slapped and facepalmed himself at the same time.

He walked over to his bedroom door and opened it. It made a slight creak, but it was barely noticeable. The sweet aroma of Alfred's breakfast wafted through the air from the kitchen, and Dick grinned from ear to ear.

Alfred's breakfast was the one thing he always looked forward to in the mornings. It was always warm and just how Dick liked it.

The meal was still second to the food at the circus, but there was a very slim line between them.

He made his way down the hall silently, even though he knew all of the occupants of the house were already awake. It was just a force of habit to be silent.

Finally he made his way to the long staircase that led down to the main floor, and hopped onto the railing, just as he did everytime. Smiling even wider, he pushed off and slid down the stairs with ease.

Nearing the bottom, he slowed his descent. But only enough for more control, and he quickly jumped off at the last moment. He slid across the expensive tile floor with a small, barely audible laugh, and started walking towards the dining room.

He opened the massive doors, and was greeted by the sight he saw almost everyday.

Bruce was sitting at his regular spot at the top of the table, a plate of Alfreds homemade Frittata in front of him, and this week's paper in his hand. He ate his meal while simultaneously reading the paper in his hand intently, not tearing his gaze from it.

Yep, just the usual in the lovely Wayne Manor.

Dick made his way over to where his plate was and eagerly dug into his meal. The Frittata seemed almost heavenly, and Dick reminded himself to try to pry the recipe out of Alfred later.

The old man was always secretive over his cooking after all.

"You know, we have stairs for a reason." Bruce said without making eye contact with his ward sitting next to him.

Dick merely smiled as he finished his bite.

"Yeah, but where's the fun in actually using them."

Bruce rolled his eyes, a playful smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

That was when Dick finally took a good look at his face. And it was not pretty. Dark bags hung low under his eyes, and he noticed a slight bruise forming on Bruce's forehead. But what really caught his attention was the way his eyes seemed almost unfocused, and his eyelids looked about an heavy as barbells.

"You were drugged last night when you fought Joker, weren't you?" Dick blurted out, not even thinking before he said it.

Bruce sighed.

"Yes, and he managed to get away." suddenly the playboy looked to the watch on his wrist, and his eyes widened. Bruce placed the paper on the table and got up from his seat, leaving the half eaten meal on the table. He started towards the door, grabbing his jacket on the way.

"Late for something?" Dick asked innocently, but his voice had a playful tone.

"Buisness meeting. Got to go. Be ready for a team mission when I get back." Bruce replied, showing no emotion in his voice.

A frown formed on Dicks face, and before he could say anything more Bruce was out of the room, with the sound of a door opening and closing seconds later.

"See you later too." Dick grumbled, and went back to eating his Frittata.

He knew that Bruce was really busy, but it still hurt a little that he couldn't even stay for breakfast. It was the only time they could be together as civilians without the beady eyes of the public staring at them.

But Dick brushed it off, and finished his meal in silence. When finished he went out of the dining room, through the twisting hallways and to the entryway. Hastily he put on his coat and grabbed his backpack from the floor, where Alfred had yelled at him and told him to pick it up, but still didn't.

Dick opened the door and was met with a cold gust of cool Gotham air, sending chills throughout his body. He started to walk across the expansive yard of the manor, knowing exactly where Alfred always picked him up. Spotting the black limo, he hurriedly opened one of the doors and hurtled himself in to escape the merciless cold.

"Are you ready, Master Dick?" Alfred asked from the front, and Dick replied with a simple 'yeah'.

Alfred nodded and headed out of the manor doors and towards the city in front of him, which held one of the best schools in America; Gotham Academy.

And soon Dick would arrive there, and so would begin another week of the worst kind of torture there is; School.

Robin strode casually through Mount Justice, looking for something, or someone, to entertain him until Batman arrived. He had been there for about an hour already, and was considering going to the training room, but decided against it.

He reached the living room, and grinned as he saw a certain speedster lounging on the green couch, munching on a piece of pizza. His eyes were glued to the television in front of him, which was playing some random rom-com that Robin couldn't care less about.

Wally didn't seem to notice that Robin was there, and the ebony haired boy took that to his advantage. Stealthily keeping to the shadows, he krept closer and closer to the red head until he was right behind him. Grinning from ear to ear, he leaned on closer to Wally's ear, thinking of the perfect thing to say.

"Boo." he screamed into his ear, while also basically pushing him off the couch.

What can he say. Nothing is better than the classics.

Wally yelped and jumped nearly a foot in the air before hastily speeding out of the room in a yellow blur. His half eaten slice of pizza flipped through the air, and landed right where the speedster had been previously sitting.

Robin started laughing like a madman, his face going as red as a tomato from lack of oxygen. He was nearly on the floor laughing so hard.

Well, he had definitely cured his boredom.

A gush of air wizzed past him, and Robin looked up from his position of the floor to see Wally standing above him, an angry expression plastered on his face.

"Not cool, Rob. Not. Cool." he said to the boy in the floor, but Robin continued to giggle.

Wally rolled his eyes, a smile forming on his lips as he stretched out his arm to help the bird off the floor.

Robin gratefully took it, still trying to catch his breath as he felt himself being pulled off the ground. But then the hand disappeared from his, and he was sent straight back down to the floor.

"Whoops, my hand slipped." Wally said sarcastically, and smiled playfully at the boy in the floor with a scowl on his face.

"You're such a dick." Robin said playfully as he hoisted himself off the floor to face the grinning speedster.

"Nah, that name doesn't really fit me, you can keep it." Wally then smirked at his joke, and Robin punched him lightly in the arm.

"Dude, that was so lame and you know it." Robin replied. Wally scoffed.

"Nothing that ever comes out of this beautiful mouth is ever lame. All of it is pure awesomeness."

Robin rolled his eyes at the red heads pride.

"Oh yeah? Have you heard yourself when you try to flirt with someone? Two words; Crash and Burn."

Before the speedster could reply, however, the teens heard the Zeta beam activate.

"Batman 0-2" the monotone female voice announced.

Immediately both of the young heros looked toward the direction of the beams. Sure enough, the black, armour clad figure was making his way to the debriefing room.

Wally and Robin both smiled. Robin knew that they would get a mission today, but he was still excited to finally get some real action. Even if it was only recon (they never stayed recon, anyway) Robin was happy.

"All team members to the debriefing room." Batman's voice rang out over the speakers. Wally immediately raced to the room with his super speed, leaving Robin to run at a normal pace in the same direction.

When Robin arrived to the expansive room, he saw that he was the last one there. Aqualad stood at the front of the group, facing Batman with his usual stoic expression. M'gann and Superboy stood to the side, standing almost uncomfortably close to one another. And, sprawled majestically on the floor, were Wally and Artemis, both groaning and they struggled to regain their bearings.

The Boy Wonder snickered at the two, and walked right past them as Artemis quickly brushed herself off and stood back up.

"Can you at least look where you're going when you run, Wallace!" Artemis screeched, and Wally got to his feet beside her, rubbing his neck sheepishly. A light blush brushed over his freckled face.

"Uh, sorry, I was just distracted." Artemis scoffed and narrowed her eyes.

"By what?" she asked irritably, and Wally smirked.

"Simple. My own awesomeness."

Both Robin and Artemis groaned at the reply.

"You're impossible." Artemis finally admitted, and Robin hummed in agreement.

"Team, listen up." Batman interjected, specifically looking in the trios direction. Both Wally and Artemis shrunk back at the Bats gaze, but Robin simply saluted him with a smirk.

Batman narrowed his eyes at the young bird, but was secretly amused. He then turned his attention to the large holo-comouter behind him, bringing up information on some sort of drug deal.

"There is a new drug that we have been recently informed of, and it has caused three deaths. All we currently know is the drug is not well known as of now, but if found out, could fluctuate on the black market."

"What are the affects." Aqualad asked. But Batman paused, and Robin knew something was off. The Batman does not pause when he answers a question. It is just a law of the universe.

"We are not sure. But, it has shown signs of being extremely dangerous, even fatal."

Robin eyes glittered with realization under his mask. The Dark Knight was frustrated because he didn't know what the drug was. And, being the 'Worlds Greatest Detective', not knowing things ticked the Bat off to no degree.

That made Robin eager to slightly aggravate his mentor even further. Smirking evily, he thought of the perfect thing to say.

"So, you're sending us on a mission that you barely know anything about, huh? Doesn't sound like something you would do."

At this, the Dark Knight shot a fierce bat-glare at the ebony. Its message was clear: Don't test me.

Robin knew this, but sent a stare back, and soon they were having a full blown conversation in bat-speak. Wally sighed, and the rest of the team simply looked on, utterly confused by the silent conversation between mentor and protègè.

Finally, Robin raised his arms slightly in the air as an act of surrender, and Batman nodded curtly.

"Finally..." Wally mumbled under his breath, but everyone in the room heard it anyways.

"What Robin said is true. If it were soley up to me, you would not be going on this mission. But, both Red Tornado and Black Canary insist that you are prepared, and I had no say in the matter."

At this, the whole team looked a bit shocked. They weren't expecting such praise from their supposed 'den-mother' and trainer. It raised all of their spirits to hear it, and they were all determined to make this mission a success.

"Now, this is strictly a recon mission. You are to gather as much information on the new drug as possible." The Bat turned back to the computer and brought up a map of Central City.

"You will be infiltrating a supposed drug dealing on the outskirts of Granite National Park and Eaglewood, and will stick to the shadows to avoid being seen. This is a simple recon mission. Only intrude if it gets out of hand, and call The League if you have any major trouble. You will leave in one hour."

Batman paused, and looked over the team uneasily, specifically Robin, but didn't show his unease in his features.

With the recent threats against Robin, he was obviously hesitant to let the team go on the mission. And it didn't ease his nerves one bit that they had very limited information on the drug. For all he knew, it wasn't a drug at all and could be some kind of poison.

But if he didn't let Robin go on the mission now, right after the debriefing, there would be too many questions. He wasn't planning on telling the boy about the recent events, and the suspicions would simply cause Robin to look into it himself.

Mentally sighing, he decided that he would just have to keep an eye on them.

"Dismissed." he finally said, and Wally immediately zipped out of the room to prepare. Everyone rolled their eyes, and went down the same hallway to also prepare themselves.

But, despite having already dismissed them, he still had second thoughts about letting Robin go out into the field. Was it really a good idea?

Although he knew that with the team, Robin would be perfectly safe. This put part of his mind to rest, but the other half was still turning it's gears, figuring out different scenarios. What if he gets separated from them? Or worse, drugged?

He shook these thoughts out of his mind. Right now, he had to focus on the present.

And, turning on his heel, he made his way back to the Zeta tubes and to the Batcave. He was going to hack into any security cameras near the supposed drug dealing, and make sure that his little bird didn't get hurt.

Neither Bruce or Batman could live with themselves if Robin got hurt. So, he decided that it was never going to happen.

And, even if it kills him, he will keep Robin safe.

It seemed as though nothing would be able to stand in the way of the Dark Knight.

But this was simply the calm before the storm.

 **Wow, ANOTHER long chapter. I'm on a roll with this book! To be perfectly honest, the ending felt kinda rushed, but I tried many different things and this is what worked out.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed the chapter!**


	4. Chapter 3

The team hurried through the hanger and to the Bioship, which immediately reacted to Miss Martians approach. The scarlett ship opened the hatch at the back to let it's passengers in, giving off a happy aura as it was finally being used after a long period of inactivity.

Everyone sat down in their respected chairs in silence, with M'gann taking the pilot seat. But before she took off, realization was evident on her face as she turned to face the team.

"Um, did anyone receive the coordinates?" she asked sheepishly, embarrassed that she did not think of the predicament sooner. Almost all of the team looked back at her blankly, also realizing they did not receive them from Batman. Robin, on the other hand, let out a nervous laugh.

"Whoops, sorry, meant to send them to you." The ebony scratched his neck sheepishly as his other hand typed away on his holo-comouter. In mere seconds, a red dot showed up on the ships holomap.

"Thanks, Robin." M'gann said as she rose the ship off of the ground. With a steady screech of metal against metal, the hangar doors opened and the Bioship whizzed into the air. It was well past sunset, and the moon shown high in the sky, glowing brightly, illuminating the calm ocean waters and islands in the distance.

The ship veered in the direction of the coordinates, and they were soon making steady progress in getting to their destination.

Nobody spoke and they rode in comfortable silence. But, as it was in his nature, a certain speedster ruined the moment.

"So, what do you guys think the drug does? I mean, Bats seemed pretty wary of letting us go on this mission. Must be something bad."

Robin looked over at him with the 'duh' look very evident on his face.

"Almost every single drug being sold on the streets is bad. I thought you would have learned that by now." The ebony looked at the redhead smugly now, and he got a very pitiful glare in return.

"You know what I mean, Rob. Before, when we went on these kind of missions, Batman wouldn't even bat an eye."

At this, Robin almost burst out laughing. He caught what Wally had said, and it seemed that Artemis did too, as she looked on the verge of giggling as well. Wally looked on confused, until it finally hit him, and there almost seemed to be a lightbulb that appeared ontop of his head.

"No pun intended. Seriously, that was so stupid. 'Batman wouldn't even bat an eye'. Geez" Wally literally facepalmed as his lips invoulentarilly twitched upward at the pun.

"I could see what you mean, Wally. Batman did seem more...apprehensive than usual about this mission. I also wonder why that is." Kaldur suddenly spoke up, turning the conversation serious again with his monotonous voice.

Robin merely shrugged and looked to Kaldur before replying.

"It's just cause he doesn't know that much about the drug. He gets that way when he doesn't know things." The boy said nonchalantly, but couldn't help feel for himself that something else may have been bothering his mentor.

Aqualad, however, seemed tranquil with this excuse, and did not question the Boy Wonder any further. To him, the Bat was simply a mystery he would never be able to figure out.

But then, as always, Wally managed to abruptly change the subject.

"But, really, what does it even do? Like, does it make you really weak, does it make you really happy, or something else?"

This made all of the team ponder. All of them came up with theories, but most of them seemed too far fetched, even for the universe they lived in where aliens were real and people had superpowers.

To pass the time, they all shared their ideas as they headed for Central City. That is, all except Superboy, who refused to even think about the question and instead looked stone faced out the window.

But as they seemed to think of all the possible uses and affects for the drug, Robin came up with a very disturbing idea.

He managed to hack into the crime files in which the substance was involved, and saw all of the evidence that the police and Batman had gathered. Robin looked through all of this, and found a pattern in all of the cases. The only thing that troubled him was how the police and, more importantly, his mentor could miss it.

In all of the cases, the victims had wounds that were self inflicted, and had seemingly killed themselves.

That fact alone set one red flag off in the ebonys mind. The death seemed very similar to those of Fear Toxin victims. But, it was also similar to a drug he had very briefly run into before.

It was simply called Rage, and made the victim angry at everything and anyone they looked at, making them attack with animalistic anger. The source of where it came from is still unknown, but I was quickly taken off the market by the Dynamic Duo. And, as far as he knew, all of it had been either used it destroyed. So, he deduced, either the original creator was back and working with Scarecrow, or some random crook who is good in science decided to make their own deadly concoction.

After a while of thinking it through, he voiced his thoughts.

"I think it might be a variant of Scarecrows Fear Toxin. It shows signs of being similar, but the victims of this drug seem to have died faster than those killed by the Fear Toxin. And, if my suspicions are correct, it may also have some trace of a Rage Toxin that Batman and I stopped from going global."

The whole team thought about it for a moment, and they all silently agreed that this was the best answer to their question. And as Kaldur was about to speak again, Robin continued.

"But if I am right, this is very dangerous."

All of the team, excluding Superboy and M'gann who was piloting the ship, gave the boy a confused look.

"How? We all know that the Fear Toxin is dangerous, but we have antidotes for it. And this 'Rage' thing doesn't sound that bad." Artemis said, and the rest of the team nodded in agreement. All but Robin, that is.

"You don't understand. Rage was a dangerous drug on its own, making people angry enough to kill, and almost nobody could break through the hold it had on them when injected. Now combine that with Fear, and we've got a very bad situation."

"How bad?" Wally asked. Robin looked at him with a neutral yet concerned expression.

"Let's just say anyone who has this in their system would not be feeling very distraught. Very heavy on the 'dis'"

With this being said, all of the team fell into a concerned silence. Fear and anxiety filled the air, and seemed to affect the ship itself, as the lights dimmed slightly.

Finally, after a long period of silence, they arrived to their coordinates. The Bioship switched to comouflage mode, and flew silently to a small medow in which they could land. With an almost inaudible thud, the ship landed and it's hatch opened.

All of the team flooded out of the ship and stood for a moment, examining their surroundings, before those who needed to switched to Recon mode. Aqualads shirt became entirely black, and Kid Flash's suit turned black from the middle of his chest outward, covering his entire suit, including his goggles.

"Link online. Is everyone here?" Miss Martian asked telepathy, and got a chorus of 'yes's and 'yeah's in return.

"Okay, what's the plan?" Artemis said as they made their way closer to the intended destination.

"Miss Martian and Robin will get as close as they can without being detected while Artemis and I stay farther back in the brush. Superboy, Kid Flash, you will stay even farther back and act as back up if any one of us is spotted. We will notify you if that happens. Everyone clear?" Aqualad stated stoically, and everyone nodded their heads in his direction. He nodded curtly back, and led the way into the woods towards the meeting point.

Once close enough, Aqualad motioned for Miss Martian and Robin to disappear. Miss Martian turned invisible and flew off, while Robin melted into the shadows with a smirk evident on his face.

The Atlantian then gestured for Kid Flash and Superboy to stay put where they are, and they immediately followed the order, moving to find more cover in the underbrush.

Artemis and Aqualad continued slightly further until they spotted a faint light in the distance. Both slowed their approached to a stealthy walk as they got closer.

At the edge, they saw a large medow that was void of any trees, and seemed generally out of place for such a thick forest. Even the small medow they landed the Bioship in had smaller trees scattered in the long grass.

Looking closer, they saw a tent that had been pitched recently, with a large truck beside it. Inside the tent they could see the silhouette of two men walking about, seemingly working with unknown materials.

"We have a visual. Robin, M'gann, are you in position?"

"Yes, I am hiding beside the truck. No one seems to notice my presence yet." M'gann replied cheerfully. Not waiting for Robin to answer, Aqualad spoke again.

"Are they speaking to each other at all?"

There was a moment of silence, then a feeling of disappointment was sent through the link.

"They are talking, but I am not sure what they are saying. Can you hear them Robin?"

For a tense moment, nothing was heard over the link. Then, just as Aqualad was about to address Robin again, he spoke.

"Yeah, I can hear them. Nothing important so far." was his simple reply. Everyone seemed content with this answer, and the mind link went silent.

Robin, who was hidden from the shadow the tent made, listened intently to what the men were talking about.

Most of it was just mindless conversation about sports, cars, and recent crimes they had committed. It was boring, to say the least. Then, after what seemed to be an eternity of talking about football scores and quarterbacks, the conversation took an interesting turn.

"So, you hear what the boss wants to do with this stuff?" and older man, possibly in his forties, said.

"No, and I don't really care, I just want the money." the other man, younger, possibly in his twenties, replied gruffly.

"Stand by team, I may have something." Robin communicated from the mind link, and a wave of excitement from the others filled his mind.

"Well you should, cause it could get us even more dough than we are getting paid now."

There was a pause, and the older man took that as his que to continue.

"Boss wants to use this stuff on the Justice League. Says that he wants to kill all of 'em, even the kid league. And if he doesn't succeed the first time, he will have to come to us for more."

Without hesitation, Robin communicated back what he just heard. A small ripple of fear was sent back, but Robin continued to listen intently.

"Yeah, you're right. And we will just happen to up the price on the stuff." the younger man spoke, malicious glee lacing his voice.

Then, before anything else could be heard, the sound of a car engine was steadily approaching. The whole team heard it, and they subconsciously shrunk back in their hiding places, making themselves even more hidden than before.

Inside the tent, the two men were heard frantically scuttling around, occasionally cussing after the sound of glass shattering. They had heard the engine along with the team, and were now in a state of panic trying to get everything ready for their buyer. After all, before they had heard the engine, they were just messing around with some other chemicals.

After a while of cussing, glass shattering, and frantic footsteps, the two men emerged from the tent carrying a large wooden crate between them.

"Does everyone have a visual?" Robin asked through the link, and everyone confirmed that they did.

And as the men came into the moonlight, Robin saw that his estimates were right. One of the men was older and had light brown hair that was graying slightly, and a poor excuse for a moustache. He was heavily built, but it looked to only be the work of steroids, and not actual physical workout. The other one looked to be younger, but was very simmiliar to the older. This made the Boy Wonder think it was a father-son drug operation.

The sound of the engine gradually grew louder, and the men put the crate on the ground and looked in the direction of the oncoming automobile.

Shortly after, a pair of headlights burst through the shadows of the trees, illuminated the field before it. Ever so slowly, a large truck rolled out into the open. It looked old and rusted, and about ready to fall apart at any minute.

Its lights were directed over the two drug dealers, but luckily missed Robin in his crouched position. The ebony let out an inaudible sigh of relief at this.

The truck then stopped, and the engine was abruptly cut. The headlights, however, we're left on, still lighting the drug duo, who now looked nervous beyond belief. This fact made the ones in close range believe the people in the car were rather well-known and fearsome.

Robin then took a closer look at the truck, trying to see if he could identify it from anywhere. Obviously it was very old and used, but the model seemed unfamiliar to him. But there was small detail that sent alarms off. In the back of the truck were several bales of hay. It could have just been a disguise so the truck would look like it was from a farm, or something significantly more sinister.

The boy was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard two slams of the trucks doors. Watching carefully, he tried to identify who they were from his position in the shadows of the tent.

"Can either you or M'gann identify the buyers?" Aqualad asks through the mind link, and M'gann answers for Robin.

"No, I can't see their faces. They do not look familiar to me, though."

Robin chose not to respond, and instead studied the scene unfolding in front of him very carefully.

The two other figures had yet to step into the light, but something about one of the figures set Robin on edge. It was a male, that much was for certain. He had a heavily built body, but instead of looking useless, he looked as though he knew how to use his muscles. His stride was confident, and the longer Robin looked at him, the more unease krept into his system.

Then, finally, the figures stepped into the light, both glaring daggers at the other two men. Robins breath hitched as he finally saw the figure that made him so uneasy. Now he knew why.

"Scarecrow..." The ebony breathed through the mind link, but he didn't mean to. Immediately, fear and unease rippled through the Boy Wonder mind, and he was now contributing to the jumble of emotions.

"Wait, THE Scarecrow? I thought this was just some random drug deal?!" Artemis screeched through their minds, panic very evident in her voice.

"This is so not whelming." Robin muttered, and for once no one commented on his language. All of them seemed too shocked to reply coherently.

"We should contact the League. They would want to know about this." Aqualad finally replied after a moment of silence, and Wally was the first one to reply.

"No way Kaldur! We can handle this! As long as this stays recon, we will be absolutely fine. And, if it does come down to a fight, we have the numbers on them!"

"He does have a point." Conner replied, finally contributing something other than a grunt to the conversation.

After a second of pondering, Aqualad spoke.

"Alright. We shall stay. But if anything gets out of hand, we WILL call the League, understood?" He commanded, and everyone agreed.

But Robin was still uneasy. Something about the villains stance did not feel right, as if he knew something that nobody else did.

And, before the Boy Wonder could voice his concern, Scarecrow turned to face the exact spot where Robin was located, and a tense air filled the mind link. Most of it came from M'gann, who was closest, but some was from the others as well.

Robin held his breath as he waited for Scarecrow to point him out, and he could feel his team mates do the same. Those who were aware of the predicament, at least.

A large grin spread across the villains face, and all the other people looked in the direction he was looking, confusion written on their faces. They could not see the bird hidden in the shadows, and therefore were puzzled to why Scarecrow looked there.

"You are good at hiding your fear, little bird, but not good enough."

With these words, Robin knew he was found out. Deciding not to delay the inevitable, he crawled out of the shadows and into the moon light. The three other people looked suprised, and he could see that they tensed at the young boys presence.

As he felt his team getting ready to attack, he spoke.

"Don't reveal yourself. He might think it's just me and Batman, and could be caught off guard if we attack at the right time."

This seemed to put them at ease, but they were still ready to pounce at any sign that their bird would be in immediate danger.

But, even so, Robin was confident he could get out of this himself, without any help. In fact, he felt sort of obliged to, in order to prove his worth to the team for a final time. He knew that they all thought of him as a vital part of the team, but there was a small part of himself that still doubted it.

And this seemed to be the perfect opportunity to try to prove himself yet again.

But instead of proving it to his team, he more so wanted to prove it to himself.

 **HOLY CRAP 3058 WORDS THAT IS AMAZING FOR ME. IM SO PROUD OF MYSELF. 〃〃**

 **See Ya in the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 4

All missions start as Recon. It was one of the agreements when the teens first started the team; All mission will stay Recon unless told otherwise.

But they had a nasty habit of continuously breaking that rule, whether meaning to or not. And tonight was just one of those many times. And, normally, it wouldn't really matter. They would get revealed, fight a good fight, and take down the bad guys. Just like the job description entails.

But this mission was different. They weren't expecting a League priority villain. After all, it was just supposed to be a simple drug bust.

So when it turned out to be Scarecrow behind it, the whole team was a bit frazzled.

Then it only got worse when the mad scientist called out the youngest member of Young Justice, hiding not even four meters away.

Once again, it looked like the reign of bad luck would continue on another Recon mission.

Robin, emerging from his hiding place, frowned at the villain, along with his accomplices.

"What is it? The drug?" The ebony sneered. He wanted this over, and quick. The more time that they had to deal with Scarecrow, the more of a chance someone would get hurt.

The villain simply smirked.

"Straight to the point I see. Just like the Bat."

Robins fists clenched tighter at the comparison to Batman. He hated being compared to his mentor. Any partner does. And no matter how many times villains brought up the similarities, it would still make his blood boil. He was most definitely simmiliar to Batman, he couldn't deny that, but there was no way in hell he would ever become anything like him.

The team seemed to sense his anger and unease, and tried to make him calm down through the mind link. But Robin simply pushed them all out of his mind, leaving only anger and the determination to take Scarecrow down.

"But I'm afraid I can't tell you just yet. It is still in development, and won't be completely ready for quite some time."

Scarecrow then paused, and looked back to the two people that were making the drug. With an evil smile, the masked man nodded his head in the direction of the truck, and it seemed as if the two understood.

With a look of unease and uncertainty, the two walked towards the back and popped it open. Reaching inside the hay, the older man pulled out a small box, and warily made his way back to the villain, who had returned his gaze back to the bird in front of him.

"Speaking of, I don't seem to see Batman anywhere." he took a moment to chuckle before opening the small box in his hands. "Well, that will make things much easier for me."

Robin braced himself for an attack, and so did his team. But instead of attacking, Scarecrow simply pulled out a syringe filled with red and black liquid, smiling in pleasure.

"So, that's what's been killing people?" Robin asked, even though he most likely already knew. But even The Boy Wonder needed concrete proof.

"Yes, quite magnificent, isn't it? Concentrated Fear mixed with traces of liquid Rage. Quite the spectacular concoction, if I do say so myself."

The man beside him that came out of the truck suddenly tensed, but only slightly. Robin was still able to notice it though, and he tensed as well.

"Sadly, all of those deaths were just experimental, and were not the final product. And we are running out of voluntary staff."

The still shadowed man then lunged at Robin, who predicted the attack and manuvured away with ease. The figure attacked yet again, attempting to knock the ebony off of his feet. But Robin simply sprung out of the way, and delivered a roundhouse kick square to the man's jaw. He grunted in pain, and halted his attack.

"Oh, how I would love to kill you right now. See the fear in your eyes as you fade away." Scarecrow sneered, but composed himself soon after.

"However, I would simply be putting my operation in more danger if it were to spill to the public that I killed you. Instead, how about we test my new formula out, hm? Doesn't that sound fun?"

With this, Scarecrow himself lunged at Robin, syringe ready to inject the lethal combination. The other two men saw the fight escalate, and quickly climbed into the truck and took off, leaving only Robin, Scarecrow, and the shadowed man in darkness.

Robin dodged every strike that Scarecrow dealt, but he was starting to get nervous. He knew the other man was still there, and it would only be a matter of time before he joined in.

And, as he thought, the other man joined. Even though Robin knew he was coming, it still caught him off guard, and he obtained a solid punch to his face. Stumbling back, he quickly regained composure and flipped out of the way of the men's attacks.

But no matter how many times he dodged, they just kept coming at him. Both managed to land hits on the boy, but Robin also inflicted his own damage. He got a good kick at Scarecrows stomach, and swept the other one off of his feet, making him fall to the ground with a thud. But he was soon up and fighting once again.

Then, as Scarecrow managed to slightly scratch his cheek with the tip of the needle, he admitted defeat in his attempt to handle the situation alone.

"Could use some help here guys!" Robin yelled through the mind link. And, just as he finished, the shadow landed a kick in his chest, flinging him back to the ground, where he slid then flipped back up, landing in a crouched position while taking out two bat-a-rangs.

Robin flung the two weapons at his attackers, but they dodged effortlessly. They continued moving towards him, and Robin took out two more bat-a-rangs from his utility belt.

Before he had the chance to use them, however, an arrow wizzed past his head with another following closely behind. They were aimed at Scarecrow and the shadow man, but the two also dodged these. But only barely.

Aqualad then came hurtling out of the forest with a war cry, his water bearers formed in the shape of clubs. He aimed them at the shadow man, but once close enough, the shadow simply flipped out of the way while Aqualad swung at open air.

Scarecrow then attempted to attack Aqualad while he was retreating back to Robin. He launched a fist towards the Atlantians torso, but he dodged it while simultaneously swinging his clubs at the villain. Scarecrow once again dodged, but his expression turned into one of pure rage.

Artemis hurried out of the woods and stood next to Robin, with Aqualad retreating to do the same. A blur of black and a gust of wind signified that Wally had ran from the forest, and was now standing beside Artemis with both fists raised, ready for a fight. M'gann then appeared floating in the air next to Aqualad, her eyes glowing a vibrant green, ready for battle. An animalistic cry came from the forest, and Superboy jumped into the air and landed next to Wally, creating a small crater in the process.

With each new sidekick that appeared, the sneer on the villains face grew. The shadow man started to retreat into, well, the shadows, but one glance from Scarecrow halted him. He turned back to the teens with a growl.

"I will not be defeated by the Kiddie League." Scarecrow sneered through gritted teeth, balling his fist tightly over the syringe in his hand. The shadow man also seemed to tense, as if preparing for the fight to come, but was hesitant to do so.

He wasn't stupid, after all. No matter how skilled he and Scarecrow may be, they were outmatched. And the shadow man knew that if it came to a fight, he would take any moment to retreat.

Then, without warning, Scarecrow launched himself at the Team. And he seemed to be going straight for Robin.

The shadow man took the shining opportunity and slunk into the shadowed woods, disappearing from the scene as if he wasn't even there in the first place.

Acting fast, all of the superheros threw weapons at the man, who was forced to dodge. But that only slowed his attack.

With lighting speed, he tried to attack the bird, who cartwheeled to the side while throwing a bat-a-rang.

All of the teens quickly took note of the villains supposed fixation with the ebony, but immediately pushed it to the back of their minds. After all, they did have a fight to win.

Superboy then intervened with a growl, attempting to tackle Scarecrow to the ground. For a moment, sudden suprise passed through his eyes, but he quickly composed himself and stepped to the side while also knocking the clone to the ground with an elbow to the back.

Artemis then proceeded to shoot a volley of arrows, all missing their target as Scarecrow weaved through them. With a growl, the blonde pulled a special arrow out of her quiver and quickly fired it. While it flew toward Scarecrow, Robin engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

Scarecrow smirked at the Boy Wonder as the two exchanged many kicks and punches. This confused the ebony, but he nonetheless kept fighting.

The arrow wizzed through the air as it made its way to its intended target. The members of the team who were not currently engaged in combat watched it fly, knowing what kind of arrow it was.

Then just as it was about to hit an attacking Scarecrow, he quickly rolled out of the way. Robin had been preparing a roundhouse kick, but stopped midswing when the villain disappeared and he was met with an arrow tip aimed directly at him.

And before anyone else could comprehend what was happening, the arrow plunged itself into Robins calf. The bird grunted in pain as his eyes widened and his leg hit the dirt, and he winced once again when he tried to put any pressure at all on the appendage.

"Robin!" The whole teamed yelled, worried for their teammate. All of their eyes widened, Artemis's possibly the most. She did just shoot her own teammate after all. And, even though it wasn't intentional, a wave of guilt crashed into her, and she seemed to be frozen in place.

Robin grabbed his head as a sudden dizziness came over him, and black blotches appeared in the corner of his vision. His thoughts jumbled together as his eyes closed against his will. Then he started plumetting toward the hard dirt ground.

But before he could crash into the dirt, Wally zipped to him and grabbed him before the bird could hit the ground. He ran back over to his team, and gently placed Robin onto the ground.

"He's unconscious" The speedster stated, standing back up to face Scarecrow in anger.

The villain simply smirked at the teens' enraged looks directed at him.

"Why do you look so angry at me? I wasn't the one who shot the arrow." He shot a glance at Artemis, who shrunk slightly from guilt and embarrassment.

"Well, you just made my life easier. Now all I have to do is defeat you, take the bird, and I'll be getting myself a new drug lab in no time."

The team were confused by this statement, but did not take the time nessasary to ponder it.

Before anyone could blink, Wally ran over to the villain and ripped the syringe from his hand, then ran back with a triumphant smirk on his lips.

"How exactly are you going to defeat us? We have your drug and it's five against one. Just give up, dude." Wally exclaimed while holding up the vial of red and black liquid.

Scarecrow let out a low chuckle.

"Have you forgotten about my accomplaice?"

"You mean the one who ditched you when the fight started? Nope, haven't forgot." Artemis snapped back, a small smile forming on her lips as Scarecrow finally realized that he was, indeed, alone.

He growled, and turned back to the teens in front of him. They were all standing protectively in front of Robin, and the villain almost hurled at the touching sight.

"No matter, I will still defeat you and get my reward for taking the little bat brat."

Then, in vain, Scarecrow tried to launch another attack on the team. But he was quickly stopped in his tracks by a green glow that enveloped him.

"I think that's enough." M'gann announced, and her eyes glowed slightly brighter for a moment. In that moment, the villains eyes widened before he, too, fell unconscious. The green glow that surrounded him dissipated, and he fell to the forest floor with a large thud.

Now sure that Scarecrow was taken care of, everyone turned back to the unconscious form behind them. Artemis sighed at the sight.

"Sorry Rob, didn't know I would hit you. Hope you can forgive me." The blonde knelt down and looked at the arrow still sticking out of his lower leg and shivered.

"Should we take it out?" Conner asked bluntly while dusting his shirt to take the dirt off.

Aqualad shook his head.

"I believe that we should take it out once we are back at the Mountain, in the Med-bay."

"Good plan." Wally agreed, and he swiftly picked up the younger boy from the ground bridal style.

"Are you sure you can carry him, Wally?" M'gann asked, worry lanced in her voice.

The speedster simply scoffed.

"Of course I can carry him. He doesn't weigh that much."

Wally then made his way to the Bioship, the rest of Young Justice following closely behind, with Scarecrow behind tied up by M'gann's telekinesis.

All climbed into their respective seats, with the villain being placed in the cargo hold, now secured with actual rope. Wally carefully set the Boy Wonder into his seat and made sure he was secure before going to his own seat.

Once they were all situated in the ship, M'gann set off into the night, heading towards Arkham Asylum to drop off Scarecrow before heading back towards the Mountain. But as they neared Gotham, an unease settled over all of the teens. They weren't sure what it was, but it made them all shift in their seats. Then, Wally answered the question of why they felt that way with yet another question.

"What do you guys think Scarecrow meant by getting a reward for capturing Robin?" Wally suddenly asked, and all of the teens snapped their attention to the speedster. Wally rose an eyebrow.

"What? You all heard him, didn't you?" Everyone in he ship started to ponder this. They all noticed that the villain seemed a bit too fixated on their little bird, and those statements sent chills down all of their spines.

"I am not sure. But it would be wise to bring this subject to Batman when we arrive back at the Mountain." Kaldur said, and everyone seemed satisfied with that answer.

But all of them still felt uneasy, and occasionally snuck glances at the ebony hunched over, unconscious in his seat. The whole team was worried, and they wanted answers. They needed to know if their youngest member was in any sort of danger.

And they also need to know how they can protect him. No matter what.

 **Kinda an awkward place to leave off, and it felt kind of rushed, I know, but I hoped you liked this chapter nonetheless!**

 **See Ya in the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 5

"I hope you have a good explaination as to why an arrow is in Robin's leg. One of your teammates arrows, to be exact." Batman growled at the team, more specifically Artemis.

After a period of silence after this statement, with nobody reacting in anyway, the Dark Knight fixed his gaze entirely on the blonde archer. She visible stiffened and looked down, not wanting to look at the bat-glare.

"Well." he said, this time more forcefully, and trained his eyes once again on the whole team. Almost everyone seemed to shirk back from his glare, even Superboy. The air in the mission room was thick enough to cut with a knife, and no one wanted to speak.

Though, seeing as he was the leader, Aqualad figured he owed an explanation for the events. He was not looking forward to the Bats reaction.

"When we arrived at the scene, there was not much commotion. Then a truck came, and Scarecrow emerged from it. He spotted Robin, him being the closest to him, and started to attack, along with his accomplice. In an attempt to end the fight, Artemis shot a tranquilizer, but it hit Robin instead."

He shot a pitied look at the girl, knowing full well she felt immensely guilty for shooting one of her own team members. Aqualad also pitied her for the look the man in front of her was giving.

It would make anyone hesitant and fearful.

"But I can assure you, it was indeed an accident. None of us would wish any intentional harm onto your protègè."

Batman turned to the Atlantian with an unemotional glance. Then without another word, with a whip of his cape he made his way towards the exit of the room.

The team looked on, confused as to why exactly Batman wasn't punishing them.

Or saying anything, for that matter.

After all, in any situation where the bird was hurt in any way, there would be hell to pay for whoever inflicted it.

Just as they thought they had gotten off easy, Wally had to open his big mouth.

"Wait, aren't you going to punish us?" the speedster asked incredulously, earning a punch on the arm from Artemis.

"Wallace!"

"What?" he replied, not entirely sure what he did wrong.

Batman paused in stride to look back at the teens, who were looking at him in curiosity. He inwardly sighed. All he wanted was to go check in with Robin, and they were making that extremely difficult.

"Your punishment will be established at a later date. For now, rest, and make sure you're prepared for the next mission. And you will make sure that nothing like this ever happens again. Clear?" he spat, overly annoyed with the adolescents at the moment.

All of them nodded numbly in response, and Batman took that as his leave and walked briskly out of the mission room.

Just as he left, an angry looking Black Canary strode into the room, her arms crossed tightly around her chest.

She stopped in front of the teens without saying a word, and they all sat there trying to ignore the woman's glare. All of them failed. After a long moment of awkward silence, Wally opened his mouth to try to explain what happened with Robin, which is what he assumed Canary was here for.

Before he could utter a word, however, Black Canary cut him off.

"There is no need to explain, I already heard the excuse. What I want to know is why you didn't call the League when you found out Scarecrow was behind it." She growled irritably.

The team all looked at each other sheepishly at this.

"Heh, well, that might have been my idea. I, just thought we could handle it." Wally admitted, looking down at the floor in shame while rubbing the back of his neck.

Black Canary's steel glare rested on him, but it softened after a moment when she could see the redhead was truly sorry.

"Well, obviously you couldn't, seeing as your youngest is unconscious in the infirmary. But, I am still impressed that you were able to take him down at all. Good work."

The whole team looked at Canary suprised, and she gave them a small smile, relaxing their nerves that were previously present.

"Of course, there is still a matter of getting back on the Bats good side."

At this, almost all the teens visibly paled. They knew it could be months before they were on good terms with Batman, and since he was the one who delivered the missions, that also meant there could be no missions for a while either.

"I'll let you go now. Do what you need to do, but I do strongly suggest all of you talk with Batman a little bit more."

With these words, Black Canary walked towards the zeta tubes and departed, leaving the team thinking about what else to say to the Dark Knight.

The man's gaze fell upon the boy resting on his bed. He couldn't find the willpower to move away from his bedside until he awoke, even though he was merely unconscious and not in any critical danger.

He had good reason, however.

Batman was still unnerved by the supposed bounty on Robin's head. He had so far found no reason for anyone to want he boy other than revenge. The only problem was that the only villain he could think of that would go to such extremes would be the Joker.

The Joker was the the one to inform him if this information, which was the one flaw of that idea. Even if the man was psycotic, he isn't stupid.

That would eliminate the madman off the list of suspects. But if it wasn't him, and it wasn't for revenge, then what else would anyone want the Boy Wonder for?

The other obvious answer was ransom of some kind, but if the amount of money that was supposedly on Robin's head was as large as the Bat thought, ransom would be extremely idiotic. Especially for any of the villains he typically faced.

The whole matter was giving the man a massive migraine. From frustration, to worry and anger, they all mixed together and caused major pain. Another contributing factor may be that he has not slept properly in over three days.

Then again, when does he ever get a full night sleep with his job?

Running his hands over his face, he let out a long sigh before looking at his protègè once more. Seeing his face so innocent, so young, filled him with determination.

He would find out who set the bounty on his little birds head, and bring him to justice. In the meantime, he would have to do everything in his power, both as Batman and Bruce Wayne, to make sure Robin stayed safe.

And whether that included informing certain people, he was still unsure.

He had been mulling over that option for a few days now, and still felt uneasy telling anybody about his problems. Batman was the broody and silent type, after all. In no way was he known to reach out to others when problems arose.

But if it meant potentially saving his little bird, he would do it in a heartbeat.

Steeling his growing nerves, he stood up from his chair by Robin's bedside. Taking one last glance at his sleeping form only resolved his decision.

Forcefully, he walked slowly out of the room, the doors in front of him making a silent 'whoosh' as he approached. Using all of the power he had, he stepped out of the room and looked almost longingly at the now shut door behind him.

More than anything he wanted to storm back into that room and wait until the boy woke up. He knew, however, that he couldn't waste anymore time. If he waited any longer he may not be able to tell anyone.

He had to do it now.

"All team members report to the mission room ASAP." Batman spoke gruffly into his earpiece, his voice echoing around him as it carried throughout the entire mountain.

Striding down the hallway, he stormed into the large room to see the whole team standing ready and alert. And very nervous.

If it wasn't for his Batman persona, he would have smirked at that. No matter how many times it happened, it always felt humorous that people were almost always nervous around him.

Getting to the platform where the large computer sat, he quickly typed in some sort of code that was indescribable to the teens. When the Bat pulled his hand away, the whole room visibly darkened, and all of the doors leading to the large cavern slid shut with an audible click. From the back of the room, the zeta tubes announced that they were in lock down mode.

The Team all looked at Batman confused and anxious. They all had the feeling that whatever the man's next move was going to be, it wasn't going to end well for them.

They had intended to talk to Batman once more when he left the mountain, to try and make further amends. But now that the same man had just locked them in a now dimly lit room with metal doors, they were a bit terrified.

After all, no one takes Batman's actions lightly, especially if he is angry at you.

Neither the Bat or the Team said a word for a tense moment, and they simply stared at each other.

"We need to talk." Batman finally announced in a more gravelly voice than usual.

Almost simultaneously, the teens let out a sigh of relief. In all honesty, they were expecting the Bat to beat on all of them and blaming it on some villain that infiltrated the mountain. The fact that they were just going to most likely get another lecture raised all of their spirits.

"About Robin."

And in those simple words, their spirits diminished. They were all getting slightly annoyed by the constant berating of the subject as well. It was a simple mistake that even Green Arrow could have possibly made. It could have turned out much worse, and they should be glad that the worst thing that had happened was Robin getting shot in the leg.

"Once again, we are deeply sorry about what happened. But I believe we have all learned our lesson." Aqualad spoke, voicing all of their opinions.

"This is about something else pertaining to Robin. And I will say this once and only once. What is said in this room will never be said to anyone unless I say so. Is that understood?"

Not sure what to do, the Team just nodded in response. Out of all of the things that their minds could concieve, this was very unexpected.

"You may be aware that last night the Joker managed to escape Arkham." Batman continued, wanting to get to the point as fast as possible. He didn't want to waste any time in getting back to the unconscious bird a few rooms away. Robin would want to know about how the mission went, after all.

"Yeah, and then you showed up and he knocked you out." Wally said, and immediately regretted it as he was met with a fierce bat-glare at the mention of Batmans recent failure.

"You are correct. But when I was navigating through the Asylum, I came across a Shadow."

"Aren't there shadows everywhere?" Conner asked, not getting why a shadow was so important.

"No, it was an assassin from the League of Shadows, and he relayed information to me that the Joker later stated as well."

There was a pause for a moment before anyone spoke.

"So you're trusting a madman and an assassin's words?" Atremis asked incredulously, crossing her arms and raising a questioning brow at the Bat. But one sideways glance at the blonde and she quickly diverted her eyes and her expression became neutral.

"Considering that they have never been affiliated before, yes. And what they told me has me worried."

At this, all of the teens looked up in bewilderment. It was almost unheard of for Batman to be outwardly worried about something, and the fact that he admitted it was astonishing.

"Well, what did they say?" Wally asked, basically vibrating from nerves and excitement from seeing so much emotion from Batman in one day. Even if it was mostly rage.

"Both of them implied that Robin was in danger, the Joker going as far as saying someone had put a potentially billion dollar bounty on him for an unknown reason."

Batman paused to let the information sink in, and then seeing the teens' look of understanding and worry, continued.

"That is why I am speaking with you. Seeing as he spends a majority of his time with this Team, I am giving you the task of keeping him in your sights on every mission, gathering, or outing."

"Wait, you're asking us to protect Robin?" M'gann asks, and before Batman could answer, Wally spoke up as well.

"Even after Blondie shot him with an arrow?" For this, Batman did not need to scold him, as Artemis had already hit him upside the head, earning a slight yelp from the redhead.

"Yes, and you better not prove that me telling you was the wrong decision."

"Have you told Robin this information?" Aqualad asked, and Batman didn't even glance his way as he replied.

"No, and I do not intend for him to find out. Which means that all of you will not speak a word of this meeting to anyone else, not even your mentors. And especially not Robin."

Everyone looked a bit confused and crossed by this. It was Robins life possibly at stake, he had a right to know and prepare for it.

"Why not? If he knows then he can be prepared for anything, even when in his civvies." Artemis said. All of the teens nodded at her statement, not seeing as to why Robin should be kept in the dark.

"If Robin knows, then he will be completely focused on that. And, knowing him, he may even become obsessed with finding out who put the bounty on him in the first place."

The Team thought this over for a moment before they all mentally agreed. Robin may have been the childish trouble maker of Young Justice, but they all knew he had a tendency to become slightly obsessive. Especially when he needs to find something out, and can't come up with any conclusions.

Like father like son, they supposed.

"We understand, and we will try our hardest to make sure no harm comes to Robin. Both on missions and our spare time." These words from Aqualad were met with a chorus of agreement.

After a small moment of looking over the teens' determined faces, Batman pressed a button on the computer and the lights brightened around them. The doors also opened, and before anyone could even move an inch, Batman was striding down the hall back to his protègè's room.

With quick glances at each other, the Team managed a slight nod and went their separate directions, their new covert mission still burning at the forefront of their minds.

But hopefully, this mission would have more luck at staying secret than the others.

And if the Teams streak continued, they could all bet they would have a fuming Daddy-bats on their tails in no time.

No one would want that happening, right?

Yay! Another chapter! This book is really fun to write for some reason, and it's just getting started! Oh, and I want to hear some guesses as to who put the potential bounty on Robin! Trust me, it's not who everyone might think.


	7. Chapter 6

"DICK GRAYSON GIVE ME MY BOOK BACK RIGHT NOW!" the angry red-head fumed as she ran through the long corridor.

In response she was met with a cackle as her friend looked back at her, grinning from ear to ear as he dodged the swarm of students. He moved through them with ease, weaving in and out of the crowd until he stormed out of the glass doors.

Barbra on the other hand kept slamming into others as she tried to keep up, muttering the word 'sorry' every few seconds. She finally made it to the doors Dick slammed through only moments before, many students glaring daggers at the back of her head. Not that she would care, anyways.

Barging through the doors, she had to let her eyes adjust to the sudden change in lighting. Once she did, Barbra immediately scoured the courtyard of Gotham Academy for the ebony boy. Behind her, students filed out the doors, eager to end yet another day of school. She was eager as well, which made her 'friends' usual antics quite annoying.

"Dick! Just give me my History book! I need it for our homework!" Barbra announced to the courtyard, hoping he didn't leave with Alfred already.

She was met with another laugh, this one more joyful and child-like, unlike the earlier one which was mischievous. This made her smile slightly, and just as she predicted from the volume, Dick was now standing right behind her.

He held the book in front of him with his ever-present smirk, Barbra finding herself imitating it.

"Yeah, but what's the fun in doing homework?" Dick replied as Barbra snatched the book out of his hands.

"I see your point, but unlike you I got here through hard work and determination, not bribery."

Dick snickered at this as they started their way down the school's steps and walked casually to the front gate.

"Yeah, and I'm sure your dad's subtle suggestions to Bruce about you being admitted had nothing to do with."

At this, Barbra dramatically gasped and punched the boy lightly in the arm. They giggled all the way to the gate, facing each other as they waited.

"So, will you be busy at all tonight? I kinda fell asleep in Geometry and didn't catch anything we learned." Barbra said, as if it were an ordinary school day occurance.

Dick rolled his eyes.

"If I'm free, I'll try to teach you over the phone. I don't know if Bruce has anything planned though, so I might not answer."

"That's alright if you don't. I can always just copy your answers tomorrow morning."

Barbra shrugged, and Dick chuckled slightly at his friends nonchalance about cheating.

Then, as if right on que, Alfred rolled up to the curb outside the Academy in one of the many limos the Wayne's owned. Quickly saying his goodbyes to Barbra, Dick walked over to the vehicle with a warm smile on his face.

Barbra always seemed to do that to him. Even if he was in the worst mood possible, she could make him smile.

He opened the door and launched himself in, greeting Alfred as he got comfortable in the spacious limo.

"Good afternoon, Master Dick. How was school this evening?" the old man said as he pressed his foot gently on the pedal, making his way back into the crowded streets of Gotham.

"It was fine. Anything new from Bruce?" Dick asked. Alfred sighed as he glanced in the rear-view mirror.

"Indeed there is. Master Bruce wishes to see you in the basement as soon as you return to the Manor."

Dick immiditely thought this was strange. Bruce never wants him in the Batcave until it's time for patrol, and even then, he would have to finish any civilian business before he was allowed to even go near his uniform. This seemed very out of character for him, and Dick mentally noted this as they sped along the highway.

"Any reason why?" He wasn't really expecting a straight forward answer, as both Alfred and Bruce seemed to love talking in puzzles.

It was almost as bad as The Riddler.

"He refused to inform me of why, but from what I could tell, he seems very distraught."

Now, that statement is what alarmed Dick the most. Neither Bruce nor Batman ever seem distraught, as it is just a part of their nature to hide emotions from others. Also a very handy tool in the Hero business, especially with the psychopaths that roam Gotham.

"Alright. We better get home then." The ebony responded resoutly. No more conversation was made, and the rest of the drive to the Manor was filled with the sound of distant police sirens and cars as the crime riddled city faded behind them.

Dick calmly walked to the secret entrance to the Batcave, all the while slightly panicking on the inside. It was just a gut feeling, but he felt that whatever Bruce wanted him for was not good.

Taking a nervous breath, he moved the clocks hands to the three and the seven. With a slight hissing sound, the ancient clock swung away from the wall to reveal a circular tube. Dick walked in and closed the entryway behind him, the doors in front of him sliding shut as he began his decent into the Earth.

He slightly shivered as he traveled deeper into the Earth, the only sound being his breathing and the mechanisms around him whirling and clicking. Dick, being used to the darkness of the elevator, was not phased by the eerie scenery that surrounded him.

When he first arrived at the Manor, however, the elevator was the one place the boy hated most about the house. And the Cave that lay beneath it.

But now the boy had seen things that cannot be unseen, and the thought of him once being afraid of a simple elevator almost made him scoff.

Finally it stopped in the ground floor, and the doors opened once more to reveal the great expanse of the Batcave. The three layers were covered with various objects, some battle souvenirs, others vehicles, and then there were the many gadgets and suits that lined the rocky walls of the cavern.

Walking forward, Dick faked confidence as he stepped towards the Batcomputer, seeing as Bruce was currently slumped in the chair. The boy assumed he was doing some kind of investigation, and didn't pay much attention to the screen. The only glimpse that he caught of it was something about S.T.A.R Labs, then Bruce immediately minimized the window.

This got Dick suspicious, but he dropped it as Bruce turned to face him.

And boy, did the man look horrible.

Granted, being a playboy billionaire that had to go to countless business meetings, as well as being a bat vigilante fighting psychopaths at night would take a lot out of a person. But Dick knew that Bruce's appearance was more than that. It looked as though he hadn't gotten any sleep in the past week, or taken care of himself at all.

And, now that the boy thought about it, he had rarely seen Bruce around the Manor, or in general, for the past week. Sure, he still went out with Batman for patrol, but he saw almost nothing of Bruce.

If Dicks curiosity wasn't peaked before, it definetly was now.

"What'cha working on, Bruce?" he tried to ask as casually as possible.

There was a slight pause as the man looked at him, seeming to be lost in thought, before he spoke.

"It's none of your concern at the moment. I need to talk to you about...something else."

Dick was visibly disappointed at not getting an answer to his question, but decided to let it go for now.

"What is it?"

There was a moment of silence as Bruce studied the boy in front of him, as if contemplating if he was really going to say whatever he wanted to say.

Of course, his face was completely blank as Dick observed this, but he was versed enough in Bat-emotions to decipher what Bruce was thinking about.

Letting out a sigh, Bruce finally seemed to come to a resolve.

"I think you should sit out on patrol for the time being."

At this, Bruce turned back to the large computer, missing the look of utter shock on the ebony face.

Out of all the things he expected him to say to him, this was not one of them. If anything, he was expecting to be grounded for getting a B- in Health (Not that he would admit to it). This seemed completely out of the blue, and Dick was not going to just let it slide.

"What!? Why!?" he exclaimed, going to the side of Bruce's chair.

"Your fighting is getting sloppy. Until it is fixed, I believe you should be training instead of going on patrol." Bruce responded without looking away from the large screen in front of him.

"What about it is sloppy? My acrobatics? Form? Attacks?"

Dick was honestly flaberghasted at what he had said. In his own opinion, he believed that he was steadily increasing in fighting ability, right now being an especially good time. Now that Dick was being told he was somehow going down hill with his training, especially by his mentor, he was beginning to question his previous judgement.

"You just need some work before you go out with me again. It shouldn't be too long, but until I see fit, you will be staying here or going to the Mountain at night."

"But what if-" Dick began, but was cut off by Bruce.

"No more questions. I have work to do, and I do believe you have homework that you need to catch up on from when you were recovering from the mission with Scarecrow."

Dick didn't want to admit it, but he was right. He did still have to make up papers when he was absent from school. But that didn't mean that he wasn't still angry and confused about him not being able to go one patrol.

And why was Bruce looking at reports from S.T.A.R Labs?

He had so many questions he wanted to ask, bit knowing Bruce, they would either be avoided or ignored. A quality that became increasingly annoying to the curious teen, who was almost always bubbling over with questions.

Begrudgingly Dick turned and strode away from the concentrated man and headed back towards the elevator with a huff. He hated being left with unanswered questions, which usually cane in handy with detective work, but when you live with a secretive adoptive father, it was very irritating.

Why did Bruce think his fighting was getting sloppy? He has been challenging himself more lately, and if anything, he should be getting better. Even when training with the Team, he can take them down faster than before.

What did Bruce see that was bad? Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't helping Dick to be left in the dark on what it is. After all, how can he improve when he doesn't know what needs improving.

The whole situation was infuriating. Especially being banned from going on patrol.

If his fighting was getting worse, then field work is the best way to learn. There are so many things that can't be taught with just equipment, as Dick soon learned when he started the hero business. Going on patrol would help him, if what Bruce said was true.

He continued to think about this as he rode the elevator back to the Manor, and even when he made it to his room and face-planted onto the soft sheets of his mattress.

Flipping over, he let out a deep sigh and stared at the ceiling, contemplating on what he should do. The obvious choice was to do his make-up work and homework for school, but Dick was known for his procrastination. But more than anything, he wanted to storm into the Batcave and demand to go on patrol that night.

Patrol was, after all, what took up most of his nights, which messed up his sleep schedule. And you can't just tell your body to go to sleep when it isn't at all tired.

So that left the question if what the ebony was supposed to do for the rest of the night.

After quite a while of going through his options, he decided the least boring (and the one that was least likely to get him in trouble. Not that he was against getting into some mischief, he just wasn't feeling it at that moment) thing to do was go to the Mountain and see who he could annoy/hang out with.

It really just depended on the person, really.

Coming to his decision he leapt out of his bed and put on the civvies he always wore as Robin. He pulled the green hoodie over his head, grabbing his dark sunglasses as he rushed out of his door and down the stairs, coming to the entrance to the Batcave once again.

After another elevator ride down, Robin hastily made his way over to the zetabeams.

"Well, since I'm probably not going on patrol anytime soon, I'll be at the Mountain if anything comes up." Robin called out to Bruce, who was still looking through various reports unknown to the boy at the Batcomputer.

"Alright. Notify me if you're staying the night." the man responded without tearing his gaze from the screen.

The ebony's gaze saddened, as his attempt to somewhat guilt Bruce into letting him go on patrol failed, but brightened soon after an if nothing had ever happened.

"M'kay. See you later, maybe."

Robin waited for a response, but was greeted with silence, as the man was too focused on his work to hear what he had said.

Letting loose an inaudible sigh, Robin turned toward the zetabeams, typing in the Mountains coordinates.

With one last look back, he let the light engulf him as the computerized voice said his name. The boys vision was clouded with white, and his body was transported to Mount Justice.

When he finally materialized and his name was called out once again, he smiled at the sight he saw.

His whole team was sitting on it around the green furniture. Connor was sitting in the chair, looking unfazed by the people around him. M'gann was sitting on the couch (the closest side to Superboy) and was looking at him rather dreamily. Not that the boy noticed. Kaldur was sitting on the other side of the couch, reading some kind of book, with a content look on his face. Artemis sat in the middle of the Martian and Atlantean, looking very annoyed, as usual. Finally, Wally was sitting on the floor with an array of movies piled in front of him, ranging from horror to comedy to romance.

Robin walked up to his team, and Wally was the first to acknowledge his arrival, and his face lit up at the sight of his best friend.

"Hey Rob! I was just about to call you. We're having a Team bonding movie night!" Wally exclaimed, seeming a little too excited.

"Well, we would be, if Baywatch would just pick a movie already!" Artemis sighed, irritated at the speedster.

Robin merely chuckled, sitting down beside the red-head, going through the movies that he had layed out.

He knew he had made the right decision on coming to the Mountain. His Team always seemed to have a way of lifting his spirits and taking his mind of things.

And he knew that his friends always had his back and believed in him, even if his mentor lacked that aspect at times. Robin couldn't ask for better friends.

They accepted him, and they felt like a second family to him. Robin knew that he could always count on his friends to encourage him, tell him what he needed to know, and be honest with him.

Or at least that's what he thought.

 **Whew! Not much seemed to have happened in the chapter, but believe me, this is a lot more important than it may have seemed. Yeah, it was kind of boring, but I'm working up to the good stuff! Things will defiantly be escalating in the chapters to come, and this is the first chapter that really starts to set that up!**

 **(Btw, this isn't really edited, so excuse some mistakes!)**

 **See Ya in the next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 7

Vials of colored and clear liquid bubbled as the machines worked, going through all of the data that was being imputed. Multiple screens showing different amounts of information including heart rate, blood pressure, brain activity, and white blood cell counts were glowing around the small, dark room. Papers were crowded on any available surface, and a seemingly endless amount of coffee mugs were strewn about in seemingly random places.

In the middle of all this chaos was a young boy and a middle aged man, separated by a thin wall of glass.

The boy, who had ragged, blonde hair and tan, freckled skin, was attached to various medical instruments. He wore a stark white hospital gown, matching the walls that surrounded him. He was unconscious, and the only indication that he was alive was the constant beat of the heart monitor and the fogging in the oxygen mask.

The man who stood on the other side of the glass was leaning on a desk, watching anxiously to see the boys reaction to his new prototype.

So far, there had been no reaction, which was a good and bad sign. If there was no reaction, that meant that it either worked a little too well or it didn't have an affect on the boys brainwaves at all. This subject, however, was still the only one to last this long under the experiment, which meant he had made progress.

Then, there was a spike in brain activity, and the scientist watched on eagerly. But he had gotten his hopes up too soon.

Soon after this spike, all brain activity ceased, and his heart rate dropped to fatal levels. Only seconds later, the boy flatlined, and the man sighed in exasperation.

Another failed experiment. Another dead child on his conscience. Another attempt failed.

He slammed his fists on the desk in anger, swiping off a mug in the process, its glass shards scattering across the floor.

"Sir, what shall we do with the body?" another man asked as he opened the door to his office, letting luminescent light seep through into the dark chamber.

He had been watching the experiment while it was in progress, and there was a hint of sadness in his voice. Whether it was for the failure or another child's body, the lead scientist did not know.

Or, in all honesty, did he give a single damn.

"Get rid of it, just like all the others." the man sighed, running his hands over his face.

"Would you like us to continue to supply you with test subjects until he arrives?" the man in the doorway asked, and there was a moment of silence before the scientist answered.

"I suppose. Might as well get it right with the imperfections before testing it with the boy. After all, if it doesn't work with him, who has all of the qualifications I need, then it won't work with anyone."

"What is so special about him, anyway? Why is he the perfect one for your tests?"

At this, the scientist looked to the man with a blaze of fury burning behind his eyes. He already had to explain this numerous times to his few employees, who would constantly asked. This man asking, however, pushed him over the edge.

"I have studied this boy for years! His brain is a neurological masterpiece! He thinks in ways that few others do. He can solve problems in a way that no one can! This boy is the perfect candidate. He has all of the right qualifications, and shows the most promise when it comes to success rate!"

The scientist paused for a moment, considering the slightly fearful and suprised man standing before him, and continued his rant, albeit more calm than before.

"I need him in order to accomplish my goal. And if I succeed, I will revolutionize communication around the world! Everyone on Earth will be able to do things that were once only part of science fiction!" he had a joyfull gleam in his eyes, and it scared the man standing in the doorway beyond belief to see him switch emotions so swiftly.

The scientist then turned back to his desk, hastily removing a file from all of the clutter. He presented the papers to the other, and he hesitantly grabbed them from his hand.

"I do hope that your men will not disappoint me in the near future." with a malicious grin the scientist turned once again back to his desk, sitting down in his chair and resuming his notes on the failed test subject.

The doorway man took this as a sign to leave, and stepped out of the room while glancing at the folder in his hand. He paused, tentatively running his hand over the bright red 'R' in the center, before striding down the hall in false confidence towards his men that waited his orders down the hall.

"Get the team ready, we leave at midnight." he ordered, his men simotaniously saying 'yes, sir' before going to another door and promptly stepping out.

The man sighed. He was questioning why exactly he took this gig again.

Then, with a groan, he remembered.

His stupid ex-wife was forcing him to pay child support. And, instead of getting a part time job like most people, he signed up for this.

One of his poorest life decisions by far.

The ebony boy slumped across the green couch with a sigh, opening the geometry textbook once more and looking over the problem.

Adjusting his dark sunglasses, he grabbed the pencil from behind his ear and absent mindedly tapped it against the top of the book. He then brought it to his mouth and gently bit the end of the eraser, deep in thought.

Then, as if a lightbulb had suddenly appeared above his head, the answer to the frustrating problem showed itself. He quickly wrote it down on a spare piece of paper he had before he forgot. Grinning ear to ear he flipped the book closed and relaxed into the soft cushions.

He brought his hands up to rest behind his head, slowly closing his eyes as he melted into the silence that enveloped him.

"Dude, what are you doing?" Wally asked, coming into the room with flash pajamas on, rubbing his eyes to get rid of his sleepiness.

Robin glanced in his direction, but didn't move from his spot on the couch. Nor did he reply to the speedsters question.

"Rob, it's literally two in the morning, aren't you supposed to still be on patrol with Bats?"

The boy slightly stiffens at this, but quickly relaxes as he can hear Wally walking towards him.

"Nope. I'm benched for an unknown amount time." was his simple reply. He now had his eyes fully open, and looked at the ginger with a raised eyebrow. "The real question is what are you doing?"

"Getting my nightly snack, what else." the speedster replied, promptly racing to the kitchen to grab a slice of pizza. He returned no more than a second later, this time sitting directly besides Robin.

"So, why are you benched? You do some more pranking?" Wally asked, and even though he couldn't see it, a far away look entered Robins eyes.

"I...don't really know actually. Batman just kind of benched me. He told me that it was because I need more training, but I think there's something he's not telling me."

Wally nearly spit out his pizza that he was chewing when he heard this. Robin looked at him quizzically, but the speedster regained his composure and acted as though he didn't react at all.

That was when Robin started to get really suspicious. Not just at Batman this time, but at his friend as well.

"Um, w-what makes you say that?" stuttered the ginger, visibly getting nervous.

If Robin wasn't really questioning him before, he definetly is now. Only lying can make Wally that jumpy.

Or girls. And considering that there were none in that room currently, Robin wanted to believe, or more accurately hope, it to be the earlier.

But, considering that outing him now might not be the best option, Robin opted to act oblivious to the redheads lies.

"He was just acting weird. Even for him. And when he told me, he was looking at something related to S.T.A.R labs. And he didn't let me see it. Why would he do that?" Robin pulled his knees up to his chest, feigning the look of him being upset.

But, to some extent, he wasn't entirely acting. The decision to make him quit patrol really bothered him, and it would be a lie to himself if he said he didn't really care. Of course he cared. It was the highlight of his days, even when it didn't end so well, either for him or Batman.

"I don't know. Maybe he's just trying to keep you out of stuff that is out of your league?" Wally suggested, finishing off his pizza in one large bite. Robin shook his head vigourisly.

"No, if it was something like that he would have told me."

"Well, I'm always here if you need to vent, Rob."

The ebony looked over to his friend with a small smile forming on his features, the same one that the ginger wore.

Then Wally suddenly got up and stretched, holding in a yawn as he did so. His back cracked, and he rubbed the spot with a hum of satisfaction.

"I don't think my body can stand me being up any longer. I'm heading back to bed." the speedster exclaimed, starting to walk towards the way he came. Before he left, he turned and glanced back at his friend, a look of pity and guilt on his face as Robin remained in the same fetal position. "Are you going to get some shut eye, too?"

Robin sighed. "Nah, I'm conditioned to stay up longer than usual. I don't think I could sleep if I tried." he said, releasing a dry, humourless chuckle.

Wally frowned, but didn't want to prod the bird any further.

"If you say so. G'night Rob."

"Night Wally."

After the speedster left, Robin stayed in his position and didn't move until the sunlight seeped through the curtains. He watched the dust particles in the air dance around the room, and the ebony seemed to be in an almost trance-like state.

He finally broke free of his trance when he heard two voices and two pairs of footsteps coming down the hall. He watched in that direction to see who came through.

Robin could hear a pair of light and almost peppy steps, and along with it another pair of heavy, lugging footsteps. He had his guess at who was going to come through the hallway, and sure enough, the Martian and clone walked casually out into the main room, idly chatting about whatever came to mind.

They didn't notice the other person in the room until they were about halfway to the living space. M'gann was the first to notice him, and raised an eyebrow.

"Robin? What are you doing here?" she asked, then a look of horror came over her face. "Not that we don't like you here or anything, but you're usually never here this early!" the Martian added quickly, hoping she didn't hurt the boys feelings.

Connor merely crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow as well, his gaze piercing into the younger.

"Just thought I'd get an early start to the day. And what better way than to spend time with my favourite people in my favourite place?" Robin replied with fake enthusiasm, hoping the two would buy his act.

"Oh, well, that great! Would you like me to make you anything for breakfast?" M'gann inquired, at which Robin shook his head.

"I'm good, I ate before I came." it was a lie, but he knew that they wouldn't know that. And, in all honesty, he wasn't hungry. Which, for him, was highly unusual, as he was basically a black hole when it came to food. Especially after an all nighter.

"Alright! C'mon Connor, this is the perfect opportunity to learn how to make what people on Earth call 'Pancakes!' It's a cake made in a pan!" M'gann exclaimed rather loudly, overly excited at the concept of making pancakes. She dragged the clone over to the kitchen, and he looked extremely confused the whole way.

Robin let out a low chuckle. His friends were sure something, that's for sure.

Then, as if the mention of food called to him, Wally came zipping out of the hallway and straight into the kitchen, Artemis following him while slowly shaking her head. Robin briefly wondered if them coming out together was a coincidence or if something else was going on. A devious smirk broke out onto his face, and it took all of his strength to not burst out laughing at the thought of those two being a couple.

The world would sooner turn to Hell.

The boy then saw Kaldur come out of the hallway, but instead of going on to the kitchen as the rest had, his gaze landed on the bird sitting on the couch. A frown was plastered on his face as he strode over to Robin.

And Robin, being the suspicious boy he was, rose an eyebrow as the Atlantean sat next to him, never taking his eyes off of him. Honestly, it slightly creeped him out, but he refused to say a word as he looked right back at Kaldur.

"My friend, are you okay? You seem somewhat distressed."

At this, the ebony's eyes widened in silent shock. So far, no one had really noticed that something was bothering him. Not even M'gann, who could sometimes feel others emotions.

Wally had noticed, but that was partially because they knew each other so well, and he had happened to see him in the middle of the night. If it wasn't under those circumstances, the speedster might not have noticed Robin's distress at all.

So, how did Kaldur know he wasn't his happy-go-lucky usual self?

"Yeah, I'm fine. Well, other than the fact Batman has banned me from patrol, I'm just chipper." he said the last part in a bitter tone, while subconsciously crossing his arms in annoyance.

Kaldur gave him a slightly sympathetic and pitied look. Robin was about to question the pity, as Wally had the same look on his face, but chose to keep his observation to himself.

"I am sorry to hear that, but I am sure Batman has a valid reason."

Robin scoffed. "Yeah, the excuse of 'You need more training' is a very valid reason. That he hasn't used at least ten times." he groaned, now letting his head rest against his arms.

Kaldur looked at him, slightly confused. "You do not believe that is the reason he has not allowed you on patrol?"

"No, there has to be some other reason. I just haven't figured it out yet." Robin replied sheepishly, raising his head to look at the Atlantean once more.

To his suprise, Kaldur looked worried, and also slightly angry. This just confused the bird even more, but once again, he chose to not mention his thoughts.

"I am sure that if it was anything important, Batman would inform you as soon as he had heard of it." the way that the Atlantean said this sent a slight chill up Robins spine.

There was a slight edge to his voice, as if he was trying to compose himself. But there was also underlying worry, which was barely noticeable through the sharp edge.

Then, without another word, Kaldur stood from the couch and, with one last look at the perplexed bird, strode towards the kitchen, where there was a clear argument going on. Most likely between Wally and Artemis.

As Robin watched his leader disappear, he couldn't stop thinking about the tone of what he had said. The only time he had ever heard Kaldur speak that way was when one of his friends was in danger, and he was working to save them. But there was no danger. Right?

With one last sigh of frustration, he got up and stood there, contemplating what he could do.

One option was going back to the Manor and messing around there. But at that particular moment, the idea of facing Bruce seemed nauseating.

Another option was going to the kitchen and talking with his friends, but that didn't seem too thrilling either. He didn't know why, but his subconscious was screaming at him to investigate his friends' behavior.

They were, after all, not really acting normal. Or, more specifically, not acting normal around him. Of course his paranoia could just be acting up, but his gut told him it was more than just that. Especially when it came to his 'heartfelt' talks with Wally and Kaldur.

Wally was lying to him, and Kaldur seemed angry and worried for no reason. And it just so happens that he was talking about the same thing to both of them, and they both acted abnormally.

Especially since he was talking to both of them about Batman.

If those were not reasons to be paranoid and suspicious, he didn't know what were.

Now with resolve, he decided to go to his room instead of doing either of the obvious choices. He was just too exhausted to be bothered to think of anything else to do. Once there, he flopped down at his bed and looked up at the ceiling with a blank stare for what seemed like hours, but we're most likely only minutes.

Without his consent, his eyelids started drooping, most likely from the lack of sleep the night before. And before he could fully comprehend what was happening, Robin fell into a black void so deep, all he could see was inky darkness all around him.

That is, until the nightmares started.

 **Wow. It's crazy to think I used to have trouble just getting to 500 words and now I can get to almost 3,000 with no problem! Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter!**


	9. Chapter 8

Blinding light clouded his vision as he hesitantly propped his eyes open. Groggily, he came to the realization that he was lying on what he believed to be the ground. The boy had no idea where he was, and became slightly alarmed.

Sitting up as quickly as he could, Dick let his eyes adjust to the light, and attempted to survey his surroundings to get some sort of bearing as to where he was. But as he rubbed his eyes to help them see, he realized that it was not a light that was blinding him, but the stark white walls surrounding him.

With one eyebrow raised the ebony lifted himself off the ground and tried to find one thing that seemed even slightly familiar. He looked around once more, and couldn't dig out any information on where he was in his mind.

He took note that he was wearing his Robin uniform, but his mask was nowhere in sight. He rubbed the back of his neck and tried to remember how he had gotten here.

"Hello?" Dick said hesitantly into the air, leaving the question to be unanswered.

Beside him, what looked like a door flung open, making him jump and instantly fall into a defensive stance. Once he realized there was no danger, he stood straight again and looked through the opening.

All he could see through it was a dark, ominous alleyway. In it stood a few trash cans, garbage bags littering the floor, and a lone phone booth at the very edge. Although he could see little beyond that, Dick knew exactly where this alleyway was. With new-found confidence and resolve, the boy stepped through the passage and, for once, reveled in the familiar poluted air of Gotham.

A smile now gracing his features, he made his way over to the phone booth. Of course, it wasn't an actual phone booth, but instead a zeta beam station.

Before he could actually reach the zeta beams, Dick felt a large presence appear, seemingly out of nowhere, behind him. Acting on instinct, he went into a roll to get some distance between them, and once that was achieved, he turned around to face whoever it was. The person who stood infront of him was the one person he least expected.

"Who are you?" Batman's gruff voice asked, and at this Dick couldn't help but give a little snort of amusement.

"Really? Nice try, but how could you not know who I am? I live with you!" He exclaimed incredulously, looking at the Bat with a humorous yet disbelieving look. Batman was the one to raise an eyebrow at this.

"I'm not sure who you think I am, but I can assure you I have never seen you before in my life."

Dick paused his snickering at this, looking at Batman's face and finding only curiosity and slight annoyance.

"Wait, you're serious? You have no idea who I am?" he asked, and got a slight nod of conformation in return.

"Wow, you must really be committed to this little joke you have going, Bruce. I mean, I admire your commitment, I really do, but the jokes over." Dick restated, still wanting to believe that the man was trying to pull his leg. Even if he had never once witnessed Batman play a joke on someone.

Batman simply stared at him for a long moment, a look of astonishment visible even through the cowl he wore. Then, from no where, he growled and pulled out a bat-a-rang, hurling it at the boy in front of him.

Unprepared, Dick could only watch with wide eyes at the weapon came hurtling towards him, soon embeding itself into his right shoulder. He let out a cry of pain and looked to Batman with horrified and confused eyes. Before he could get a good look, the Bat was flying at him with a scowl set onto his features. Injured and suprised, Dick did nothing as his mentors body crashed into his and they were both sent to the ground.

The boy suddenly regained his senses and started to struggle under the Bats body, the weapon in his shoulder making it painful to do so. Before he could get any good movements in, Batman grabbed both of his wrists and pinned them to the dirt.

Still struggling under the man's body, Dick let out a few gasps of pain. Batman had his face close to his, and was snarling in his face.

"How!?" he spat, making the boy under him cower in even more fear and disbelief. Without answering, the Bat ground it out again, more forceful. "How do you know who I am?!"

"I-I've lived with y-you for almost four years!" he exclaimed, tears now coming to his eyes in fear of his mentor. Of course, Batman didn't believe him.

He grabbed both of the boys wrists in one hand, and with the other he gingerly grabbed the Bat-a-rang. But in one harsh movement, he pushed it deeper, emitting a scream from the boy below him.

"Why are you doing this?!" Dick screamed, tears now fully flowing down his face and looked up, horrified at what his father figure was doing.

Now twisting it, Batman let out a low growl and leaned closer the boys ear. Then, he whispered something in a hushed, hate filled whisper.

"Because this is what you deserve. I don't even know why you would think I would ever stand living with someone like you. Nobody loves you, and it's obvious, as no good guardian would ever let a normal child out on the streets of my city at night." he paused, and with a smirk, leaned back and took another bat-a-rang from his belt. "Which is exactly why I believe you shouldn't be roaming the streets anymore. You could become a potential danger, after all."

In one swift movement, Batman plunged the weapon into the boys chest, the agonising pain-

Robin awoke with a gasp, clutching the sheets below him so tightly his knuckles turned white. He was shaking, and his eyes searched around the room frantically for any sign of the alleyway or Batman. His breathing was heavily laboured, and sweat clung to his cloths, soaking him to the bone.

Taking deep, slow breaths, he managed to calm his body. But his mind was another matter all together.

His imagination was still running fast, and still believed he was in danger. His eyes held fear everywhere he looked, and contorted the shadows to look like horrible beasts. Mainly bats.

Finally, after a long while of just sitting there in fear, his mind relaxed enough to realize that it wasn't in danger. His whole demeanor became less frigid, and Robin pieced together that what he had just witnessed was a nightmare. One of the worst ones he's had, too.

Usually his nightmares consisted of what you would expect from a traumatized teen. His parents death was the most common, but there were also the times where he saw his 'family sessions' with the Joker, or even things he had seen when exposed to Scarecrows fear gas for the first time.

This nightmare came completely randomly. He had no idea what sparked his imagination to send him that scene, but whatever it was, it came from the very deep recesses of his mind. And he wasn't sure he wanted to really find out why his mind conjured up the scene he had just witnessed.

Taking one more deep breath, Robin ran a hand through his ebony hair, regaining all of his composure. And, now fully comprehending where he was, wishing the part of the Team that were there didn't hear him most likely screaming in his sleep. That would be very embarrassing for the bird.

But, as fate would have it, someone had heard him. He was just glad it was the red-head from down the hall that heard him, and not anyone else. Robin didn't know what he would do if, god forbid, Superboy came into the room and he had to explain why he was in the state he was. Luckily, Wally knew about his frequent nightmares, so he didn't have to say a word as the speedster charged into the room, walking his normal night clothes consisting of a yellow hoodie and pants with the Flash symbol everywhere. After taking one look at the bird, he marched over to engulf him in a bone crushing hug.

At first the bird stiffened, the image of Bruce's body on his still fresh in the front of his mind. But after a moment he pushed the image away and latched onto Wally like a lifeline. Tears rolled down his face, and once the door finally slid shut, he felt free to let out a sob.

The speedster rubbed his back soothingly. He murmured sweet nothings into his ear as a way to calm the bird down, as he had done so many times before.

After a while of them just sitting there in each others embrace, Robin pulled back, giving Wally a sheepish smile.

"Thanks." the bird whispered, his voice hoarse from sobbing. Wally gave him a small smile.

"No problem. That's what bothers are for, aren't they?"

Robins smile grew at this, and he hugged the speedster once again. His cheek rested on a wet spot on the gingers yellow hoodie, and Robin sniffled before releasing and looking at Wally once more.

"Sorry for getting your hoodie wet." a slight blush came onto his cheeks from embarrassment, but Wally just chuckled at the ebony.

"Dude, it's just water, I'll be fine." he said with a bit of humor, but he got serious once again as he looked at Robins tear stained cheeks. "Do you...want to tell me what happened?"

Robin mulled over this for a moment, before furiously shaking his head. With the images still rolling around in his mind, he thought he might break down when trying to describe them to someone. Maybe he would someday, though.

Wally sighed slightly, but didn't say anything more as they sat in comfortable silence.

That was another thing Robin cherished about his friend. They could sit together, in almost any situation, in silence, and it would very rarely be awkward or uncomfortable. With this in mind a small smile grew on the ebony's face as he looked at his brother figure once more.

No matter what, Wally would always be there for him. And nothing could ever change that.

"Thanks for being here, I feel much better now." the bird said, and Wally hummed as a sign he heard and appreciated it. Then, a thought struck him. "Hey, what time is it by the way?"

The speedster thought for a moment. As he couldn't recall what time it was, he pulled out his phone from his sweater pocket. The light illuminated his face as he checked the time.

"Almost two. Why?" Robins eyes slightly widened at this, and he quickly asked whether he meant in the morning or at night. "Uh, morning. You have somewhere you needed to be?"

"No, but I was supposed to tell Bruce if I was going to stay the night. Which, I didn't as I was asleep the whole day."

Wally's eyes widened, and he looked at the ebony in disbelief.

"Wait, you slept all day?" Robin nodded his head sluggishly, and the speedster slightly punched his shoulder. "Dude, we all thought you were working on a case or something. Guess that explains why you never answered when we knocked on your door, though."

The younger slightly chuckled at this, as did the other. After their little fit of giggles, Robin maneuvered himself away from Wally and dangled his legs off the side of his bed. He stretched, and hummed in satisfaction as he heard and felt his joints popping.

"Well, I better get back to the cave. Bruce might be freaking out." Robin exclaimed dramatically, earning a laugh from Wally. But he didn't laugh soley at the birds remark. It was mostly because that is exactly what happened.

After about ten that night, Batman had called the Mountain in an angry panic, demanding to tell him if Robin was there with them. This scared the daylights out of the members that were present, which were M'gann, Kaldur and himself. Through all of the Bats anger and worry they had managed to explain that Robin was, indeed, at the Mountain, as the man was going on about him being kidnapped and tortured along with who knows what.

It warmed and froze Wally's heart to know that Bruce could become DaddyBats so easily. But he had his experiences with the man's overprotectiveness, and did not want to be on that side of the Bat ever again. He had nightmares for weeks afterwords the one time that he had managed to cross the Bat.

That, however, was a long story that could be explained later.

He stood up and made his way to the door, the ginger following closely behind. The door automatically opened with a hiss at the ebony boy closer, and both of them stepped outside of the room. They gave each other a slight wave and a goodnight, Wally going back to his bedroom while Dick made his way to the zeta beams.

Dick entered the code for the Batcave. Half a second later he felt the familiar, tingling sensation and the computer voiced his departure. After about five seconds he heard his name once again, and the feeling of being teleported faded away. Light still shone in his eyes as a slight after effect, but soon diminished as he walked further into the dark, damp cave.

With a yawn he made his way over to the elevator, intending to go back to sleep in the Manor. As he walked he caught sight of his suit in the glass holding case, the one next to it barren and empty. He held in a sigh as he stopped his advance and continued to stare at his uniform.

He always thought that while it sat in that case, it looked as if it were on display. Almost like it were in memory of someone. It looked almost dead.

But the feeling he experienced when in the suit was beyond compare. He felt free, like he could do anything in the world. Flying through the air, feeling as though he had never left the circus. Just the thought brought a small smile to his face. The smile turned to a frown as he remembered why he wasn't wearing it right now, fighting crime alongside Batman.

His gaze traveled over to the large computer, and a mischievous idea popped into his mind. He knew that he would most likely be punished if Bruce found out (with there was a high chance he would), but the temptation was too strong.

Dick walked to the computer in a fast pace, plopping down on the chair and immediately going to work, fingers flying across the keys in expert precision. He paused, but began again, determined to find out the real reason Bruce didn't want him going on patrol. If the man wouldn't tell him the truth, he would just have to do a little digging.

The ebony spent the next two hours on that computer, going through multitudes of files and folders. He even managed to get past the Watchtowers firewall to see if there was any information there. But after hours of searching, he had yet to find any other reason why Bruce wouldn't let him out on patrol. He slammed his head against the keyboard in frustration, and in doing so, opened a file that looked irritatingly familiar. Dick lifted his head to peek at the screen. As soon as he did, he immediately started scrolling through the information.

The article shown was the one he had seen Bruce close the other night about S.T.A.R Labs. All the information pertained to stolen scientific instruments, all having something to do with neurological senses. The facility was located in the North side of Gotham, and everyone who worked there was in a panic about the stolen supplies. They stated that everything that was stolen could be used to do potentially horrific experiments, or even be used for attempting to reach he far corners of one's mind, where medical science had yet to discover.

All in all, Dick was puzzled. Why did Bruce have the need to try to hide this from him? It was just stolen equipment, after all. And, sure, the things stolen could potentially bring very bad outcomes, but what was the big deal? Things got stolen all the time. What was so important with this case that Robin couldn't help Batman?

Dick jumped in his seat as he heard the engine of the Batmobile enter the cave. Eyes widening, he quickly closed out of the folder and hoped that Batman hadn't seen what he was doing from the Batmobile.

The boy looked at the time in the corner of the screen, which displayed that it was currently four in the morning. The exact time the man came back from patrol. Dick mentally hit himself for being so stupid, and subconsciously held his breath as he heard the door slam, and then the soft padding of feet coming towards him.

Slowly, the ebony turned his chair around to see the one and only Batman glowering down at him. He gave a sheepish laugh, sinking down into the chair as he rubbed his neck.

"Hey, Bruce." Dick muttered. Batman did nothing in response, but continue to slightly glare at him.

"Why aren't you asleep? And why are you on the computer?" the Bat asked in a gruff voice, not displaying any emotion towards the subject.

"To answer your first question, I'm not asleep because I slept all day, anyway. Didn't really see the point in resting more, y'know? Secondly, how's it any of your business that I'm on the computer?" the ebony snarkily replied.

"Because I paid for it." Batman retorted plainly, giving the young teen a look that sent the message of 'tell-me-why-or-you'll-be-grounded'. Dick sighed. He knew he wasn't getting out of this one.

But there was no shame in trying, right?

"Just doing some work, that's all." before Batman could comment on that more, Dick stood from the chair and started to nonchalantly walk to the elevator door. "Well, now that that's all cleared up, I'm heading up to the Manor. See ya tomorrow. Or, later today, I guess."

Dick left no room for Batman to call out his lie as he stepped into the elevator and hurriedly closed the door, heading up to the building above.

Batman sighed, and sat down in the chair his ward had just been sitting in. He spun to face the screen once again, quickly getting to work on a mission report from Captain Marvel, as he was required to write one in order to stay on the League, being only a child in reality.

As he read through the poorly written report, Batman's mind kept traveling back to Dick's more than suspicious behavior. He made a mental note to look into the computers history to see exactly what that mischevious boy had been up to. Knowing him, it couldn't be at all good if the ebony was willing to cover it up.

But for now, Batman could only let out an irritated huff as he tried his best to understand Captain Marvels blabbering that he had the audacity to call a 'mission report'. And if one thing was crystal clear to Batman at that very moment, it was one painfully obvious thought.

Excluding his ward, the man completely loathed children.

 **...hhhheeeeeeyyyyyyyy gggggguuuuuuyyyyyysssssss...I, uh, don't really know what I'm doing down here, sooooooo...yeah. Hope you enjoyed the chapter. Yep, that's it. See Ya!**

 **(Anyone notice the slight Birdflash fluff I included, eh? The ship won't be in this book, but I couldn't help but add some fluff between the two devils Ｏ()Ｏ)**


	10. Chapter 9

"Please Robin! Why don't you want to try some of my homemade pasta?" the Martian girl whined as she floated over to the ebony lounging on the couch, holding a large metal bowl filled with what she called 'pasta'.

Robin recoiled as the bowl was shoved in his face, the bright yellow and red sauce mixed with a doughy solution stinging his nostrils.

"No offense M'gann, but I don't even think Wolf would want to try that." he tried to play off nonchalantly, but failed seeing the teens dissapointed face.

"Is my cooking really that bad?" she asked softly, and Robin couldn't help but pity her.

"Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. Homemade pasta is pretty tricky to nail, even for some professionals. All you need to do is practice a bit more."

At this advice, M'gann practically beamed with happiness. It brought a pleased smile to the Boy Wonder face.

"Yeah, I'll just have to practice! In the meantime, do either of you want to help make some cookies?" she suggested.

Robin politely shook his head, while the clone who had been watching static slowly got up from his position on the chair with a slight shrug.

M'gann squealed a bit as she flew back over to the kitchen, Connor following behind with a small smile forming on his face.

'God, just go out already you two' Robin thought and he watched them get supplies from the many cupboards.

He turned back to the static filled TV and promptly reached for the remote to watch something that was an actual channel. The teen promptly turned it to the news, and sat watching while the two in the kitchen started to idly talk about their civilian life.

Overhearing their conversations, he couldn't help but yearn for what they had. They didn't have to hide who they are to the Team. All of them could talk freely, if they so desired, about their civilian lives. All but Robin and Artemis, of course. (Although, the archers hero identity and civilian identity are the same, so it wasn't the same situation as the ebony's).

He could obviously understand why the blonde wanted to keep her identity a secret, due to her relations, but why did he? Sure, knowing his identity also meant revealing Batman's as well, but he was surrounded by allies, not enemies. He believed with all his heart that none of his team would ever betray him to that extent, but of course, Batman didn't agree.

What was it with that man and his paranoia and secrets? Did he ever think for a second that telling the truth could be beneficial? Both to trust, and mental health? It is sometimes, after all, emotionally and mentally taxing to keep some secrets.

All Robin wanted to do was reveal who he was to the team. But he knew Batman would be beyond furious with him.

It was getting tiring, honestly. How many secrets he had to keep because Batman either told him to or it could put innocents in danger. The weight of all those hidden messages bore a heavy weight, one the teen was getting pretty tired of carrying.

He wished he could do what his teammates could. They could talk freely, while he had to watch what he said almost everytime he opened his mouth. In all honesty, it just wasn't fair.

Before Robin could dwell on his dilemma anymore, he could hear the monotonous voice of the zeta beam come to life.

"Recognized, Speedy, B06."

"That's not my name anymore you stupid machine!"

Robin outwardly sighed as word of the archers arrival rang throughout the cave. He could hear him angrily stomping over towards him, and faintly heard a low grunt for Superboy in the kitchen.

Robin paid Roy no attention as he came to a stop in front of the TV, effectively blocking his view. He tried to ignore the ginger, but was only met with the stone faced figure of the archer.

"Roy, would you move? The TV's right there..." he trailed, finally making eye contact with the older teen. Who looked too pissed off to even try to describe.

"Where is she?" he ground out, crossing his arms and giving a stern glare. Robin only raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Where is who?" Roy slightly growled at this, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"Artemis! Where is she!?" he exclaimed.

"Why do you want to know where she is?" Robin asked, not about to let the fuming ginger near his other friend without a reasonable explanation.

"She shot you with an arrow, and I was only informed of this today! Now, tell me where she is so I can kick her-"

"Roy, it wasn't her fault!" Robin refuted even before he finished his sentence. He got a steely and angered glare in return.

"How wasn't it her fault!? She shot you, and got little to no repercussions! She was testing her boundaries, and obviously she saw where she stood. And apparently, that spot is pretty high up on the chain of command."

"Roy, that mission was nearly a month ago and the two missions we had since then have been a breeze! Seriously, take a chill pill!" Robin exclaimed back, rolling his eyes in frustration. This only seemed to make Roy's face even more scarlett than it was already getting from rage.

"Even so, that's not the point! She shot you!" he yelled once again, steam practically flowing from his ears like a steady train.

Robin paused for a moment, studying the archers face curiously. Then, after a tense moment of silence where the only noise was M'gann silently stirring the cookie dough, a knowing smirk enveloped the Boy Wonders face. He let out a cackle, and the archers rage simmered, being replaced with slight curiosity.

"Careful, Roy, your overprotectiveness is showing just a bit." said gingers cheeks once again became a scarlett red, but from embarrassment. He started sputtering random excuses that had nothing to do with that, but the only response he got was the smug look that now adorned Robins face. Once catching the expression, Roy stopped trying to explain his actions and simply crossed his arms with a huff.

"Shut up, kid." he grumbled, now getting a triumphant look from the Boy Wonder.

"Nice to know you still care, Speedy." with that comment, Roy threw his arms in the air out of exasperation and stomped towards the Zeta Beams. All along the way the occupants of the cave could hear multiple grumbles of 'why do I even try' and 'he's going to be the death of me'.

Robin cackled once more as he heard the archers angered shout at the feminine voice once again used his outdated name.

A moment passed where no one spoke, the only sounds being the television and the clang of cooking supplies from the kitchen. The air seemed almost akward, but the martian soon went to work dispelling those feelings.

"I didn't know you and Roy were so close." she said simply, gaining the ebony's attention away from the screen. To her delight, she saw a broad grin in response.

"Yeah, Wally, Roy and I are basically brothers. Being the first partners, we hung out a lot, both with and without our mentors. And, sure, Aqualad came soon after, but nothing can compare to the originals, am I right?" Superboy gave him a very dark glare at that comment, and Robin quickly had to rectify it. "Not that there's anything wrong with seconds." the teen gave a nervous chuckle as Connors gaze was directed away from him, but still had a very dark look lingering.

Before anyone could say anymore, a bright light was cast into the room.

"Recognized, Batman, 01." the Zeta Beams called, and everyone was immediately at attention. Robins grin widened and he flipped over the couch with ease, jogging over to his mentor excitedly.

As usual, the Dark Knight wore an emotionless mask, completing the look that almost every criminal shivered at. The man quickly strode into the room, a definite purpose in his mind.

Robin ran up to him, falling into stride with his elongated steps, and looked up at him eagerly. Batman, in turn, glanced down at his protègès hopeful expression. He took one long stare, and they continued to communicate through what most of the League dubbed very early on 'Bat Speak.' The ebony gestured briefly to a small, metal disc in the Dark Knights grip. That seems to be the end of the conversation, as Batman let loose a small sighed and dejectedly nodded his head.

Robin gave a small whoop, but also noticed Batman's hesitance. Although, some speculation on the Dark Knights part was to be expected. He was still getting used to dealing actual missions to a team of skilled and super-powered teenagers. One can only take so much, after all.

But something in the ebony's gut told him this was different. His mentor didn't seem just hesitant to let the team go on another mission (although some people were still suspicious over the whole Artemis incident). Batman was always paranoid, but this seemed different.

Robin shook all of his doubts out of his mind with a near undetectable shake of his head. They seemed to be a bit ridiculous. If his mentor was really worried about the team and how they work together, they wouldn't be going on another mission at all.

Still, Robin took all of his thoughts with a grain of salt, mentally reminding himself to look for any other suspicious behavior-from both Batman and his teammates-while they were being debriefed.

Batman walked stoically to the center of the mission room with Robin still by his side, bringing up the holo-computer. He quickly typed a sequence of digits, and multiple pictures of a strange, glowing red metal appeared.

Despite probably being very dangerous and possibly even deadly, Robin found himself being drawn to the red substance. Something about it seemed special, and the bird was more than eager to see what kind of element it was. And, if it wasn't too dangerous, maybe even snag a piece of it for himself.

"Team, return to the Cave and report to the mission room immediately for a debrief."

 **Yeah, not the most ideal place to leave off, but I couldn't find a way to continue this chapter without it being incredibly long, so I'm settling with a shorter chapter than normal.**

 **Basically nothing of real importance (except more bonding) happened this chapter, it is just mostly setting up the next couple chapters.**

 **Well, with that, I'll see you all later! Once again, sorry for the shorter chapter!**


	11. PSA: Please Read, Will Affect Updates

**Hey everyone! I know all of you want an update, but I'm not entirely sure when that is going to come out**. **I had all of the chapters that I have posted pre-written, and with school starting soon and volleyball already started, I won't have that much time to get any updates out. Since I'm starting High School, it will also take me a while to get adjusted, so that has to be taken into account as well.**

 **That being said, I'm going to try to set up a schedule for myself. I will try my hardest to update every Saturday, but it may turn into every other if I am pushing myself too hard. The stories I update will be updated every other, starting with 'Changing Tides' next Saturday, then 'Too Lose A Bird' the next, and so on so forth.**

 **If anything changes I'll try to tell you guys, but I might forget (literally I have a terrible memory for most things). Hope you like the schedule, so be expecting regular updates after this Saturday!**

 **To all of you who have been reviewing my stories; thank you so much. It really helps to see how many of you actually read my works. It gives me motivation, seeing people who want to read what I create. As a writer, I couldn't ask for anything more, and every review, favorite, and follow drives me forward knowing people are waiting for the next part.**

 **Thank you for all of your support, and I hope everyone has a wonderful school year!**


	12. Chapter Delay

**Ugh, I am so sorry everyone, but this week has just been really tiring and, unfortunately, I already have to break my schedule. Schools three days away and we STILL haven't gone school shopping and we are running out of time as relatives are coming over and it's just……ugh. Then add Volleyball practice everyday to the mix and you get, what I personally like to call, a very angsty and hormonal teenager.**

 **Anyway, the next chapter will be delayed, but I'm hoping to get it done tomorrow, so it shouldn't be too long.**

 **Thanks for understanding!**

 **~Atatami**


	13. Chapter 10

**Okay, I have an urge to say this, so as I was re-reading some of the plot line I had set, I came across SUCH A GOOD COINCIDENCE ITS AMAZING. I had unwittingly set up a perfect road for this story to take, and it's going to be SO MUCH FUN TO WRITE. That being said, I also believe that it is a very original idea, as I have seen very few fanfics even poking at one of the major topics, and NONE with the idea I have at where it's going to go.**

 **By the way, this chapter could be a bit...confusing. There's a lot of jumping around, and not a lot of action, sorry. It is also not edited, so excuse some mistakes please.**

 **Well, with that said, enjoy the chapter!**

oOo

"Um, Sir, are you sure that this is a good idea? We could keep testing with the other patients until we get the boy-"

"No! This is the closest we've ever been! I don't care about their mental state if they manage to survive, the injection and equipment are actually working! This could be what we've been striving for all along! And, yes, I do realize the patient isn't exactly what we had in mind at first, but who the hell cares!?"

"But, what if their...record...interferes with the trials if the patient succeeds in traveling over?"

"Once their over, I could care less whether they live, die, or somehow become a vigilante, all I need to know is that there is nothing wrong with the equipment, and it's simply a matter of waiting for the boy; the perfect patient."

"Alright, as you wish, Doctor."

oOo

Robin sighed as he looked once more at the screen in front of him, displaying multiple lines of coding as well as video from the nearby security cameras in the building. He idly twirled around a Bat-a-rang in his free hand, whilst also tapping his foot to an invisible beat.

The Bioships seat had become rather uncomfortable by now, so he brought his legs up and sat crisscrossed on the seat. He never once took his eyes off the screen, watching both windows intently.

He saw a brief flash of black and red on one of the video feeds, and mentally scolded the Speedster. If the guards hadn't been previously taken care of, then they would have blatantly seen Kid Flash zip in and out of the hallway. This was a reconissance mission (when weren't they), and they couldn't afford to be caught.

The Boy Wonder then found himself rolling his eyes as he easily spotted Superboy observing the scene from a rooftop next to their mission objective.

He needed to remind both Batman and Black Canary to have more stealth related excersises for training the next week.

At that thought, his mood turned slightly angry and sour. He hadn't missed the looks the team had given him when the plan was being set, or the way they seemed to be sheltering him. It annoyed him to no end, but he would have to bottle up his frustrations at the moment.

He had a mission to complete, after all, and despite the questionable choices made during the planning phase, it seemed as though it was going to be successful.

oOo

 _Mount Justice: 5 Hours Earlier_

 _The assembled teens stood in front of the Dark Knight as he fluidly scrolled through the information and images on the screen._

 _Kid Flash and Robin were practically bouncing where they stood (vibrating in Wally's case), itching to get the new mission assignment. Robin, maybe, even more than the older teen._

 _The brief images he had caught sight of before the rest of his team had assembled were no doubt intriguing. The glowing red substance in particular had caught his eye, along with a small picture of Lex Luthor that accompanied it. It looked a bit like liquefied Red Kryptonite, and knowing Luthor, it wouldn't be a suprise if he somehow managed to get a piece of the rare mineral._

 _"Team, this mission deals with the company known as LexCorp, and I am sure most of you are aware of the company." Batman began, pausing on a picture of LexCorp Tower in Metropolis, with a paparazzi photo of Lex next to the other image. "Recently, one of the branches of the company, LexCorp Technologies, has been focusing on a particular project, simply named 'X'." The man typed something on the holographic keys, and an image of a cylindrical, red, glowing substance took up the majority of the screen. "We believe they may be experimenting with a highly dangerous and rare chemical called 'Xenothium'."_

 _Wally's mouth seemed to drop to the floor as the chemical was named. "Xenothium!? That stuff is way too unstable to be handled properly!"_

 _A harsh glare was sent his way, and the speedster visibly paled, and Batman took his moment of silence to continue._

 _"Yes, it is a highly unstable, and also very powerful chemical. We are not entirely sure what Luthor's planning, and that's where you come in. This will be a reconissance mission, and NONE of you are to be seen. Is that clear?" he got varied nods in return, giving his own slight tilt of his head as well. "Good. You will be leaving in fifteen minutes. I have already sent the coordinates of the lab 'Project X' is being held at to Robin's holo-computer. Good Luck."_

 _With those parting words, Batman materialized back into the zeta-tubes in a bright flash of light. The teens immediately all went about their own ways, gathering supplies and carrying weapons they may need._

 _Robin and Kid Flash were naturally the first ones prepared, Robin because, well, he's a Bat, and they are prepared for almost any possible scenario, and Wally because of his speed. They now had about ten minutes of free time, in which they decided to spend in the hangar near the Bioship._

 _"So, Rob, what's going on in the big, bad city?" Wally asked once they were both sitting on the ground, the speedster nibbling on an energy bar. Robin rolled his eyes._

 _"Meh, not much. Jokers still underground, probably planning some more 'fun', average thugs, Catwomen, the usual." the ebony stepped with a dismissive wave._

 _"Does Catwomen really rob stores that often?" Robin had to think for a moment, before shrugging._

 _"Yeah, I guess, but she also stops some common muggers, too. I'm pretty sure she also has some sort of fetish for Batman. All in all, Catwomen can be...confusing."_

 _Wally hummed in acknowledgement, while finishing off his energy bar. He haphazardly threw the wrapper over his shoulder, and stretched out his legs, focusing completely in the boy in front of him as he asked about crime in Central City._

 _"Everything pretty good there, too. Captain Cold tried to rob a bank about a week ago, but we stopped him easily. Oh, wait, I forgot! That was the first time Flash let me handle a more dangerous villain solo! I was so excited and it was awesome and Barry and Iris was so proud of me and-" Wally continued his rant while Robin idly paid attention, making noises of agreement or disagreement when he seemed it necessary._

 _Finally, after Wally finished his speech with 'And then the lady almost punched me, so I'm NEVER trying to buy a hotdog from that side of the city again', the rest of the team walked through the hangar, heading straight for the Bioship with only a small glance at the two on the floor._

 _They both simultaneously jumped off of the floor in a undeclared race to be the first one to the Bioship. As soon as the ship morphed into a usable and streamlined shape the two were inside, the straps securing them to the seat as the others entered at a much calmer pace._

 _The Bioship was soon soaring through the air to Suicide Slum, Metropolis. Quite a cliché spot to be doing something illegal in the Man of Steels city, in Robin's opinion. It also seemed a but out of character for Luthor to be so obvious in where his operations were being held, which he promptly shared with the rest of his team about halfway through the trip._

 _"Maybe he's losing his touch." Artemis supplied, but the Boy Wonder quickly shook his head in denial._

 _"No way. Luthor's the big leagues, no way he would be so obvious, it's not like him."_

 _"So either it is not him who is behind this, or he is planning something much bigger than a simple lab experiment." Kaldur added, making the team slightly nervous._

 _"Let's hope it's not Lex, then. Unless he really is off his game, then I guess we do hope it's him behind it." everyone gave Wally a bit of a confused look, but decided not to comment on the absurdity of the statement._

 _"So, what's the plan, Kal?" The team all straighten in their seats when Robin asked, and Aqualad bit back a proud smirk._

 _"Seeing as this is simply a mission where we are to gather information, I suggest that only a small group go into the building. The rest will set up a perimeter in case the others run into trouble. Kid Flash, Artemis, and Miss Martian will be going in to gather information from what they can gather from the interior of the building. Superboy and I will be on standby in the nearby area." The mentioned heros nodded, but Robin just gave a confused tilt of his head._

 _"What about me? Shouldn't I be going in, as I have the most stealth training?" Robin narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he saw the team collectively send nervous glances at Kaldur. They narrowed even further when it took a moment for the Atlantean to collect his thoughts._

 _"Yes, that is true, but we need you to stay here in the Bioship to sift through the information that Miss Martian, Kid Flash and Artemis collect from the lab. I doubt they would be able to figure out what all of it means." The ebony's eyes widened in suprise at being brushed aside on a stealth mission._

 _He could understand the leaders decision for letting Artemis and M'gann be the ones going inside. Artemis has the most skills in blending in behind Robin, and the Martian can camophlage her whole body. But what he couldn't understand was why Wally was going in instead of him._

 _The speedster might have been his best friend, but Robin could confidently say that his skills in stealth far surpassed those of the annoying, obnoxious, and loud teen._

 _"That's why we're getting the information, though. So the League can sift through all of the information and make sense of it. Why would you need me to do it?"_

 _A brief moment of silence fell over the group as they tried to find another excuse to keep Robin from most of the danger. Surprisingly, M'gann was the one to come up with the next excuse._

 _"We also need some eyes from the outside! We need you to keep an eye on the cameras to make sure we don't get caught!" The elder teens all seemed to internally let out a relieved exhale, while the youngest simply got all the more irritated at being excluded from his specialty._

 _"But Wally could easily do that too. Why aren't you letting the guy who practically grew up in the shadows use them for the sake of the mission."_

 _"Robin, the plan has been out in place, and as leader I will not change it." at Robins slightly crestfallen look, Aqualads tone softened from strict leader to knowing friend. "Do not worry, you still have an important job, and when I step down and you take my place, you can make any decisions you would like."_

 _Despite the comfort, the bird didn't feel any better about practically being benched. First Batman, and now his Team? Robin was beginning to think there was something he wasn't allowed to know. Which, taking after Batman, wanting to know everything and anything, infuriated him to no end._

 _Did they not trust him? Did he need to prove once again that he can hold his own against people bigger than him?_

 _For once, Robin didn't know how to solve a problem that was set in front of him. Usually, he was faced with a puzzle, and could immediately think of ways to possibly get out of it. Even if he wasn't entirely sure what the problem was. But now, he just felt lost and confused, like a newborn puppy trying to find the warmth of his mother._

 _And Robin feared he might not get out of that puppy phase anytime soon, unless he could figure out what the problem was and promptly fix it._

 _Whatever it was, he was confident Dick Grayson could handle it. And if he couldn't, then Robin, the Boy Wonder, certainly would._

 **Well, what do you think? Some parts seem a bit rushed, but I had to write this in very short segments throughout the day, so it may be a bit choppy.**

 **Hope you liked it anyway!**


	14. HIATUS (Not Very Long) *IM SORRY*

Okay, I REALLY didn't want to do this, but school combined with sports and band have been taking up all of my time, and I really just need a break from everything for a little while.

Usually writing is my way to let everything out, and just relax for a little while, but lately it has become somewhat of a burden. (DO NOT take that wrong, I am not giving up writing, but I've just had too much stuff going on to have it be a leisurely activity).

I WILL NOT BE GIVING UP ON THIS BOOK. I love it so much wad there is no way this is going to deter me from finishing what I've started.

That being said, I plan to be back sometime in October or November, when Volleyball is over and I am fully adjusted to the amount of homework I have. It seems like a long time, but I really need to have some time to just do nothing and contemplate things.

I am sorry for disappointing most of you, but I just...can't juggle everything right now. I hope you all aren't too mad at me, and I PROMISE I'll be back around the time I set.

Sincerely,

 ** _Atatami_**


	15. Chapter 11

The simple ceiling staring back at him was infuriating. White looked light blue in the moonlight streaming in through the window, the bumps in the ceiling making it look like a ragged ocean, churning and twisting before the oncoming storm.

Dick clenched the red blanket into his fists, glaring up at the blank canvas above him.

He shouldn't be here. He should be feeling the chill wind rush through his hair, his whole body conforming to the air around him as he swings from skyscraper to skyscraper. Batman should be beside him, lightly praising and criticizing his movements as he takes down multiple crimes.

He shouldn't be in his bed, 10:47 at night, right after a mission, while his mentor roams the perilous streets of Gotham.

Granted, the mission with the team had been a complete success for once. Everyone was jovial and filled to the brim with joy. But all Robin could think about was how he had barely any part in the mission. And everything had gone _perfectly_.

It was starting to seem that he was even more useless than he thought.

Dick clenched his eyes shut and attempted to calm himself, listening to the noises around his spacious room. The same room he had the hardest time adjusting to during the beginning. Going from a small trailer where everyone shared a bed to a large room where he could fit two trailers had been difficult, to say the least.

He listened to the crickets chirping outside, the gentle breeze brushing the maroon curtains together. The wind whipped into the room and created a small whistle, creating a chill. Below him he could hear the old manor settling in its foundation, the old boards creaking to create the illusion of footfalls on the floor. Dick could faintly hear Alfred in the main kitchen, still cleaning from the quick dinner Bruce had before suiting up for the streets.

He let out an irritated breath and sat up, rubbing the palms of his hands over his face. It wouldn't help to even try to sleep anymore, as his body and mind simply wasn't accustomed to being in bed at such an early time.

The ebony briefly looked out the patio doors, the moon shining far above the Earth. Everything seemed peaceful on the Wayne estate, but he knew that was only because of their distance from the actual city.

When he saw a small colony of Bats fly in the distance, he couldn't take it anymore.

Springing from his bed with the stealth and fluidly of a feline, he stalked across the carpeted floor to the walk in closet. Slowly opening it as to not make a sound, he reached in and pressed on a panel of older wood. It pooped inside, and Dick reached inside to pull out a small box with a domino mask sitting idly on top.

He wasn't supposed to keep a spare of his uniform in his room. It was one of Alfred and Bruce's rules, as to protect their secret identity's. But when he found the small pocket in the wall, he couldn't resist putting a spare inside, despite the rules.

It was only for emergencies, of course, as this night was. Dick thought he might die if he had to stay confined any longer. It was also a coincidence it was one of his older models, which had all of its trackers taken out by none other than Robin himself.

Really, a huge coincidence.

But, in all honesty, Bruce should have seen this coming. Since when has Robin always played by his rules?

After all, it doesn't bode well for the captor to cage a bird for a long amount of time.

Quickly and quietly slipping on the suit, he snapped the belt on and hastily slapped on his mask. He took on look in the large mirror beside his closet, and a devious smirk pulled it's way onto his lips.

It felt good to be a Robin of the night again.

Tip-toeing over to the patio he stepped outside and relished in the slight breeze he already felt. A bright smile lit up the bird's face as he looked out towards the city. His city, that he had been absent from for what seemed like an eternity.

In reality, it had only been about a month he had been out of commission in Gotham, but it felt like forever to the ebony.

Leaping up onto the railing, he spread his arms and took a deep breath of the crisp air, smile still plastered onto his face. Crouching down, Robin leapt into the air, trying to stifle a cackle as he raced toward the ground.

Once he hit the ground, he rolled to soften the landing, and immediately moved to one of the many alarms blind spots. It wasn't like Batman to have any faults in his security, but it was to be expected from playboy Bruce Wayne. Even the best money couldn't buy perfect alarm systems.

From there, he easily evaded the rest of the alarms, ending his escape by flipping over the gate to the large estate. He gave one last look behind him, saw Alfred through the window, cleaning an antique vase, and took off to the gleaming lights of the city that seemed to call out to his very essence.

All he could do now to ensure he wasn't caught was try to evade the eyes that Batman seemingly had everywhere.

Simply put, that was going to be a lot easier said than done.

OoOoO

For the first time in over a month, he finally felt free. Flying in death defying feats that no other fourteen year old should be doing tended to do that to him.

He let loose his signature cackle as he leapt off one roof and onto another, never breaking stride. Robin had been doing this for over twenty minutes now, and still hadn't run into any crime, which seemed a but strange, but at that moment he couldn't care.

The smile that had adorned his face at the Manor had never left. In fact, it grew wider the longer he was out in the smog of Gotham.

Finally he stopped, just admiring the city he had been calling his own for almost five years now. Even though it was crime ridden, polluted, and it was the city that brought him one of the greatest tragedies of his life, it was all his.

Well, with the exception of Batman, which he luckily hadn't seen any traces of yet.

Closing his eyes and listening to his surroundings, he found that the heavy burden that seemed to be placed upon him had vanished. It was as though breaking one of Batman's orders also broke through the self doubt he had been feeling ever since he got benched.

All of his troubles, all of his anger at both the Team and Batman, seemed to be blown away in the gentle breeze. His cape brushing away any of the remaining doubt that may have lingered.

He couldn't bask in the moment for long, however, as the slamming of a car door below him snapped him back into the hardened vigilante he was trained to be. Robin was snapped out of his thoughts and immediately stalked over to the edge of the building, looking down at the alley below, taking care to stick to the shadows.

A classic, black van was parked below, five men standing around it. They were all burly and muscles, dressed in black, with a tattoo of some type of bird printed on their necks. One was in the back, gathering a type of weapon that the ebony had never seen before.

The barrel was pitch black, which was connected to a cylindrical tank that looked reminiscent of Mr. Freeze's freeze gun. It was as small as a regular pistol, a dark silver metal making up the rest of the weapon. It was definetely not a normal firearm, but until he could gather more information, Robin was at a loss at whether it was lethal or not. For the time being, he would assume that it was.

The man holding the guns slammed the door shut, and gave each of the other four one of the weapons. Robin assumed he was the leader of the small group, as he seemed more confident as the others.

"Alright, let's not mess this up. Collect as many children as you can fit in the van, and if you can find the one boss wants, contact the rest of us and we'll get you some backup. Remember, the kid he wants may be small, but he is smart, and knows how to handle himself." the other four men have curt nods before the seeming leader continued. "And don't come anywhere near the Bat if you can help it. The bird hasn't been seen with him for almost a month, so it's unlikely he'll be with him tonight. Got it?" another chorus of nods, and they all split off, two following the leader and the other two going out of the other side of the alley.

Robins eyes narrowed, and he silently stalked the leader and his men as they went out of the alley.

To him, any group of grown men hunting down children in Gotham was generally a bad sign. But as the leader continued spilling his orders, it sounded like they were after one kid in particular. And if he wasn't wrong, that kid was him.

Whatever these men wanted, Robin intended to stop them. All he had to do was follow them and catch them in the act of kidnapping an innocent citizen.

But as the time wore on, and the men kept walking down back alleys and dark streets, now heading towards the Narrows, Robin started to get annoyed. They must have passed at least four homeless kids by now, and so far they hadn't touched any of them.

He was starting to feel as though he should just show himself and see what would happen. They seemed as though they wanted to capture him, and it would certainly move things along.

But Batman's training wouldn't let him reveal himself so easily. He was always told that you had to catch people in the midst of a crime, or the police could start chasing them down. And since these men had only talked about committing crimes, and he had not been recording their words, he had no evidence to convict them if anything.

Which left Robin wondering who exactly their boss was. The leader had spoken about a boss, but he couldn't seem to think of anyone with a bird symbol that lurked Gotham besides himself.

Whoever they were, they wanted the bird, so they were going to get the talons.

The men suddenly stopped beneath him, but he was so lost in thought he kept walking for a millisecond longer. This caused his food to catch on the stone roof he was walking on, and the small pebbles scattered across the surface.

It only made a slight noise, but it might as well have been a gunshot, because as soon as he realized his mistake, a streak of light blue light whizzed past his face.

Robin took a quick step away from the edge, wary of the clang that came from the fire escape of the adjacent building. He reached for his belt a took out two bat-a-rangs, preparing them for flight as soon as one of the men would show their face.

A pale face with blonde hair popped up above the buildings ledge, gun ready in his hand, and Robin let the projectiles loose in rapid succession. The man cried out as one grazed his hair and the other knocked the gun out if his hand, sending it clattering to the alley floor. But what confused Robin was the smirk that came afterwards.

"The kids here!" he shouted, and Robin heard the noise behind him before he saw them.

Whipping around, he saw the leader and the other man with the same twisted smirks not heir faces. They held their weapons level, barrel pointed straight at the birds torso.

Robin froze, a second of doubt seeping into him. What if he wasn't fast enough to dodge the guns? They would hit him, kill him, incapacitate him, or maybe something even worse. Then he would just be proving Batman and his Team right, that he wasn't good enough to play hero.

All of the freedom and pleasantness he had previously felt was drained, being replaced by the fear and self-doubt once more. 'What if I'm really not good enough to even face two thugs with guns? So what if they are after me or not, what if I'm not strong enough?' were all thoughts that passed through Robins brain in that on moment.

This second of hesitation was all the men needed. They simoultaniously pulled their triggers, illuminated the roof in a pale blue light.

Robin's instincts kicked in and he swiftly dodged one of the beams with a back handspring. Unfortunately, he wasn't fast enough to dodge the other blast of light, hitting him square in the chest, and the bird tried to prepare himself for some sort of pain to follow.

But there was none. A cold feeling spread over his limbs from the point of contact, and Robin's mind was momentarily confused, trying to figure out why it wasn't feeling pain. The sensation quickly spread to all of his limbs, and everything excluding his head was soon numb.

Without the feeling in his legs, the teen crashed to the ground in an ungraceful heap of flesh.

Robin's eyes widened, and he willed his arms to move, but nothing on his body would listen. His brain would send messages to his nerves, but it was like the nerves were on vacation, and couldn't make the action happen.

A growing panic gripped his chest as he saw the two men stalk towards him, wicked smirks on their faces. He saw the leader reach for a radio in his pocket, and he said something into it, but his heart thumping in his ears was too deafening as they closed the distance.

The leader crouched by him and grabbed his hair in a vice like grip, causing Robin to wince from the pain. He almost gagged as his face was brought within an inch of the man's face, his yellow, rotting teeth revolting.

"You'll be having a lot of fun soon, don't you worry." he muttered, and before Robin could come up with a witty response, his face was slammed against the concrete, his vision instantly going black.

 **Hey! I'm back! I felt as though this story needs to be progressing a little bit faster, so I skipped some not really important chapters I was going to write and went straight to this one.**

 **What do you guys think? Sorry for any errors, didn't have much time to read over it.**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**

 **~Atatami**


	16. Chapter 12

**This may or may not be the last chapter to this book, and then I'll move on to a sequel. I just don't want this to become too long so new readers can enjoy it too, without spending a lot of time catching up. I still have to decide, but I thought I would give all of you a heads up!**

 **Enjoy the chapter**!

The darkness started to pull away from him, and Robin tried feebly to grasp at the retreating shadows. They felt so nice and warm, unlike the blinking white light he was being forcibly dragged towards.

With a groan the bird came back to consciousness, but kept his eyes screwed shut. Whatever that light was, it was still there, seemingly right in front of his face, and he did not feel like giving his headache even more fuel.

Robin tried moving his arms but as met with tight resistance. His legs were the same, and in the back of his mind the ebony noted that they were metal cuffs, and that his hands were kept to his side. So, he was most likely on some type of table.

The teen also noticed that both his gloves and boots were gone, along with his cape and utility belt.

"Robin, I believe it is time to acknowledge your surroundings, don't you? It has been little over five hours since you we're brought in." a male, grainy voice asked from a speaker located somewhere in the room.

Despite his gut telling him it was a bad idea, he managed to pry his eyes open. Robin let out an inner sigh of relief at feeling the familiar fabric around his eyes. At least his identity was safe. Hopefully.

Now, it was time to do what the disembodied voice asked him to do.

'Because everyone listens to them, right?' he asked himself dryly.

Never-the-less, he looked around himself and found that his guess had been right. He was strapped to a table, a metal one, and the cuffs around his scrawny wrists and ankles left no room to move. There was also an additional leather strap around his too that he failed to notice.

The room he was in was pure white, with medical equipment surrounding him. It looked eerily simmiliar to a hospital room, and if it wasn't for the one-way glass that was in front of him, he might have actually believed that it was. Then, as he looked more closely, his eyes narrowed when Robin caught sight of a tool tray about a meter to his right, full of medical instruments crusted with dried blood.

"So, what do you think of your room?" the man spoke with an odd sense of glee evident in his tone, making Robin slightly shiver.

"It's a bit plain, if you want my honest opinion." the bird mumbled, but it was still caught by the man on the other side of the glass. He gave a deep chuckle that suddenly turned into high pitch laughter.

"Oh, I know it is. But don't worry, you won't be able to see it much longer." with that sense of foreboding, Robin steeled himself and went into what he called 'Bat-detective' mode. No play, all business.

"Do I get the pleasure of knowing who kidnapped me?" he didn't hear a reply right away, and he could tell the man was contemplating on what to call himself.

"You will know me as simple The Doctor, for now." the ebony briefly thought that it was quite the generic name, but didn't really want to poke the man. He was, after all, strapped to a metal table, and so far he couldn't find any escape routes.

"Alright, Doc, what's the plan? I would like to know what brought me here, and if I need to get my will ready." The Doctor once again chuckled, but this felt more genuine, as if he actually thought Robin's snark was comedic.

The teen cringed, as even that laugh was laced with some traces of indescribable glee for whatever was in store.

"Don't worry about that, but you did bring up a good point. We should get started at once." The man was now all serious, and a door that Robin hadn't noticed opened to his left.

Two nurses walked in, a male and female, both looking to be in their mid-forties. They wore the same maroon scrubs, and looked to be twins. The had matching scars over their right eyes, and based on their expressions, had never smiled a day in their lives.

They moved robotically, setting up the machines around him until there was a gentle buzzing from all that surrounded the bird.

Robin's heartbeat increased as the lady picked up small, suction-like pads and moved towards his face. He lurched as far away as he could with a snarl, but could barely move his head. She placed one on each of his temples, then one directly in the middle of his forehead.

Whatever she used to make sure they stayed on stung his skin and bit into it with a chill.

The man approached next, grabbing his elbow harshly and pinning it onto the table. Robin let out a small grunt as an IV needle was stuck into his right arm, but didn't further acknowledge it as the women proceeded to pin his left elbow down, inserting another needle.

This one was connected to the same stand the IV drip was on, but this bag was filled with a green liquid. The look made Robins stomach turn just a bit, but he managed to glare at the black window in front of him.

"Hey, what's the big idea? What's that green stuff you got flowing into my arm? If it's some kind of poison I'm gonna be mad!" he exclaimed, his eyes going wide as the man came at him with scissors.

The Doctor gave no reply, and the ebony squirmed, trying to get away from the sharp point that was now digging into his skin just below the neck. The woman proceeded to hold down his head by pressing her icy hands against Robin's forehead, and he could feel his tunic being cut down the middle, being pried open to expose his chest. Chills raced down his spine from the sudden cold, and he saw the hairs on his arms rise with goosebumps.

As soon as the man stopped he felt another cold pad being pressed against his side and over his heart, with a steady beat following their placement from the monitor on his left.

The woman continued to hold his head down as she reached below the table, and Robin heard a small click before a piece of leather was draped across his neck. Before he could begin to struggles the strap was secure and he could now barely move his head.

Now they both moved back and out of his sight, leaving Robin in anxious waiting for their next actions.

He knew he wasn't supposed to be this scared. After all, he jumped off buildings and fought psychopaths on a regular basis. But despite this, he could feel his hands trembling. At first Robin blamed it on the cold steel he was lying on, but after his body had gotten used to the cold, he had to admit his terror.

The thing that bothered him most was he didn't know _why_ he was so petrified. Robin had been kidnapped plenty of times, both in civvies and in uniform. It was nothing new.

This time, however, it was almost as his mind had a sixth sense. It was screaming at him to get out, fight, make sure you get back home to Bruce and Alfred tonight. The last thought made him falter in his breath, as the proposition of possibly not making it home hadn't come to mind.

Of course, in situations similar to this, Batman would unfathomably come to his rescue, beating the crap out of his captors before sternly reprimanding him for his foolishness to cover his underlying worry.

That, however, was much less likely to happen now. He had snuck out, and made sure no one would notice his absence until morning.

The dread that this fact brought filled Robin from head to toe.

No one was coming for him. He was all alone, and unless something miraculous happened, and soon, he would be at this man's mercy.

Metal squealed against the floor, and the bird was dimly aware of a strange, blinking, helmet-like device being positioned right above his head. It glowed a faint blue color, and the technology inside of it buzzed in his ears.

"Uh, what's with the sci-fi helmet?" Robin asked, but his question didn't distract him enough from the rising fear of the answer.

"It's used to help you cross Over, and it also keeps an eye on your brain function and your brain cells, to make sure the procedure goes smoothly." Robin mulled over this for a moment, before he felt hands on his head again, maneuvering around the device. Then another click sounded, and a strap was now on the very top of his head, where pale skin met ebony locks.

"You have done whatever this is before, right? This isn't, like, just a random experiment you wanted to try out? For fun?" the attempt to hide how terrified he really was failed, his voice not coming out as strong as he hoped, as well as the beeping from beside him steadily increasing.

"Of _course_ I've prepared for this!" the Doctor yelled, his offended tone clear. "I've spent countless hours trying to find the right test subject, and the right equipment! Do you think it was easy finding men who would be willing to steal from S.T.A.R Labs and pluck up random boys off the street? No!" he took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. "And, yes, that lunatic was before you, and somehow he was able to go Over. But I wanted a sane mind, and it just so happens you were the perfect candidate." the way he spoke that last sentence, sent warnings throughout his whole body.

"And how exactly did you figure all that out? You don't even know who I am." at least, Robin hoped he didn't. It would have been all too easy to remove his mask when he was out cold.

"I watched you. Your movements, your actions, your speech. All of it. It may not seem like much to go off of, but it told me _everything_."

Robin was freaking out now. Internally, at least. He refused to show that kind of weakness in front of these sick people.

"So, what now? Am I just supposed to lay here and see what happens?" he noted that the 'nurses' had left the room some time during the Doctors rant, leaving him alone.

Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the brightest light source became the blue lights encircling his head. The heart monitor started to speed up, and Robin felt sweat gathering on his forehead.

"Now, little bird, you are going to be the first sane person to cross Over. You're going to be part of something revolutionary, just you wait." the Doctor said it in such a breathy manner, like he had been waiting his whole life for this. But what he murmured next made Robins blood go cold.

"Let's just hope 'Mr. J' doesn't kill you before we can bring you back."

Robin opened his mouth to question that statement further, but was cut off as a searing pain radiated from the base of his skull. He instantly clenched his eyes shut and his mouth snapped close, trying to deal with the fire that was slowly spreading over the whole of his head.

His body was becoming numb, and through the pain Robin noted with dread that he could no longer move his fingers.

The fire was slowly increasing, and it felt as though the flames of pain that were previously licking at his head were now engulfing it. Robin was trying his hardest not to cry out, which he assumed would only amuse and please the Doctor.

This time, instead of increasing, the level of pain was stunted. The birds breathing was becoming more erratic, with a cold sweat breaking out across his body.

Then, with a loud popping sound, the pain flared to immesurable levels.

Robin knows he screamed, he could feel his throat getting raw, but all he could focus on was his head. His body unconsciously started thrashing, trying to escape, but it was no use. The only thing that accomplished was making his wrist and ankles bleed.

Finally, after it felt as though his head was going to explode, his vision was enveloped by a bright blue screen.

All things around him seemed to disappear as he was cast into the oceanic void, the pain slowly ebbing away, being replaced with a different sound. Something shrill, that didn't sound quite right...

Laughter. 

**Yep! That's that! Bet you've figured it out by now, huh? Or, at least, figured part of it out, as I still have to have some questions left, don't I? Hope you enjoyed, and review on what you think is going on, I want to know who's closest!**

 **~Atatami**


	17. Chapter 13

**Slight warning for creepy stuff. Just letting all of you know now.**

One thing that Robin learned through his four years of being a Gotham vigilante; getting thrown face-first onto concrete hurt. A lot.

His breathing was labored, and every part of him felt off, as if he wasn't in his own body. Robin's temples were pulsing with pain, along with a circular area on his forehead. He could feel his fingers, arms, and even his legs twitching in spasms like he had just been electrocuted. The ebony's eyebrows scrunched together, his eyes squeezed shut beneath his mask as he tried to regain some control over his own body functions.

The cool concrete beneath him relieved some of the pain and heat his body seemed to be feeling, but it could only help so much.

Robin's mind was fuzzy, like white noise. Everytime he tried to focus on one thing, such as the smooth surface beneath his forehead was rested on, his thoughts were scattered. It was like a puzzle that didn't have a complete picture.

The tingling then increased, and now the birds whole body convulsed, his eyes bulging out of his head as a seemingly invisible force of electricity surged through him. But, just as soon as it began, his whole body stilled and his breathing evened out.

Slowly, with great effort, Robin's mind started to be pieced back together. He was still lying face down on the concrete, and it just now came to him the awkward position his left arm was in, streched over the back of his neck. With a grunt of pain and a new wave of tingling originating from the appendage, the ebony managed to sluggishly move his arm to rest beside his head.

His mind was finally clearing, and the first thing he felt besides the subsiding pain was a spike of panic.

The last thing he remembered before the fire in his brain grew was being strapped down to the table, with the Doctor's voice coming from the speakers embedded throughout the room.

And judging on the position he was now in, Robin could safely assume that he was no longer in that room on the table. In fact, he probably wasn't even in the same building anymore, if that man had any intelligence at all.

Intelligence that didn't involve bringing pain to others, that is.

An unabashed groan came from Robin at his situation. He felt like a little eight-year old kid again, helpless, alone, and not having any idea what was going on. It was that day all over again, only slightly less earth shattering.

Slowly, the tingling having now almost completely vanished, Robin pushed off of the floor. His arms shook with the effort, and he felt even more pathetic. He could jump off buildings, knock out fully grown men, and bench over a hundred pounds, but he couldn't lift himself off of the floor? It would have been less embarrassing if he was injured, but apart from a now killer headache and the ache he felt in his muscles, Robin couldn't feel anything physically wrong.

His legs curled in under him, and the ebony was now on all fours, but still couldn't manage to lift his head up. It felt like it had been smashed by Bane's fist one too many times.

With a head as heavy as lead, Robin sluggishly brought his head up, and waited for his vision to stop spinning. It wasn't very noticeable before, staring at the simple gray stone, but now that there were other things to be seen everything swirled.

He lifted his right hand off of the floor and cradled the side of his head in his hand. After repeatedly blinking rapidly, along with shaking his head a few times, Robin's vision finally cleared and he was able to analyze his surroundings. Just as he was taught.

The room he was in was made entirely from concrete, with cracks like spiderwebs running up and along the walls. There were also some on the ceiling, which would be of concern for a cave in, but the bird figured that was the least of his problems at the moment.

Each wall was no longer than a miniature bus, with some parts of it seemingly crumbling at the spots where cracks were visible. Robin also noted that it was most likely this was a part of a larger building, unless someone decided to build a random concrete box in the middle of nowhere.

On the wall in front of him was a stack of about twenty shoe boxes, but they were so old and withered that he couldn't tell what brand or style they were. Most looked empty, but there were a few that seemed to still have shoes.

Looking to the left he saw much of the same thing, only with a cabinet next to the discarded boxes. To Robin's there was nothing but a metal door, which was open just a sliver.

The familiar weight of his belt was missing, which was to be expected, but now Robin realized that he was in a completely different outfit.

Instead of the tight spandex and cape that he was previously wearing, he now wore a simple red T-shirt with gray sweatpants that hung loosly off of his hips, obviously too big for his slim frame. Robin's feet were bare, and, to his relief, his mask was still firmly placed on his face.

Robin's eyes narrowed. He took in the details he could see, and none of the conclusions his mind came up with made any sense.

If the Doctor put him in another building, why would he leave the door unlocked and open? What exactly did that man do to him? If it really was a sadistic experimen of an unhinged scientist, then wouldn't be want to see the effects of whatever he did?

All of these things just made his head throb even more painfully than before.

With a large sigh, Robin tried to fight the sluggishness his limbs felt and rose to his feet. Everything spun for a moment, making him stumble and lean against the crumbling wall in from of him for support.

Bile rose into the ebony's throat, and he closed his eyes to try to fight off the sickness.

After taking several deep breaths he felt his stomach settle once again. Robin's eyes popped open once again, and he set his determined gaze on the door in the corner of the room.

With stumbling steps the bird managed to make it to the metal door, and grasped the knob as firmly as he could in an attempt to quell the shaking in his hands. Pulling the door towards him he swung it open, and was met with a scarcely lit hallway.

It had only two flickering orange lights hanging precariously from the ceiling, and the washed out, gray wallpaper was coated with stains that Robin could only guess at. At the end of the hallway was a simple, oak door, that looked much newer than the rest of the building that he had seen.

Swallowing his nerves, Robin slowly plowed forward, his steps steady and much more confident.

As he got closer to the door, Robin could have sworn he heard soft, melodic circus music playing behind it. He simply shook it off as his delirium at the moment, but as he stood right in front of the door, there was no mistaking the music that was playing.

An eyebrow rose onto Robin's forehead, but despite his caution and curiousity that he now felt, he knew that the only way was forward.

Taking a deep breath and preparing himself for the worst, Robin's muscles tensed as he gripped the door knob and flung the door open. He immidiately fell into a sloppy defensive stance, knowing that in his state, fighting wouldn't be a very good option. But it was all that he could think to do any his situation.

Although, what he saw on the other side of the door was not at all what he was expecting.

Honestly, he wasn't sure exactly _what_ he was thinking he might see. Maybe a lab full of vials, or even a room full of armed guards ready to open fire. He might even expect to end up outside, in the scorching desert, blizzarding snowstorm, or deserted city block.

He was not, however, in any way prepared to see the Joker, standing about five yards away, hands on his hips, wearing a purple robe with a sadistic smile unnaturally stretching his pale face.

Before the utter shock could be wiped off of his face, the mad-man before him let out a high pitched giggle.

His shaggy green hair was sticking up everywhere in an extreme case of bed head, and his eyes were also littered with a tiny element of drowsiness. The make-up slathered on the clowns face seemed to be hastily done, but, if possible, seemed more terrifying than the smeared neatness it usually had.

If Robin didn't know any better, he would say the psychopath had just been asleep. Which in his mind was a foreign concept, as he couldn't image any of the villains he fought (except for maybe Riddler) doing anything a normal person might.

It never really occurred to him that almost everyone he fought was a human who needed basic human needs, as all he regularly saw was the worst side humanity had to offer. Robin had started to think that the high-class villains he fought weren't even human at all (although some of them really weren't, such as Killer Croc and Klarion).

It scared him to know what Gotham did to him. His gaze softening the slightest bit, Robin's single thought was how dissapointed his mother must have been, degrading even a villain in such a way.

And, sure enough, behind Joker stood a record player, softly belting out a tune from a song that Robin used to hear everytime his family went to preform. It only seemed to drive the point in further.

The ebony snapped back to the situation at hand when the Joker released a small snort, as if trying to hold back a barrage of laughter.

Most of Robin's attention was directed at the person standing in front of him, but with his addreniline pumping, his senses became hyper aware.

The ebony dully noted the bleak appearance of the domed room, with nothing in it except a rotted, green couch and the record player. Above him the roof seemed to be falling apart, but he could scarcely see the edges of an intricate painting. A silver chandelier was dangling from the ceiling, in obvious disrepair.

It seemed as though this entire building, whatever it was, was slowly withering away before his very eyes.

The clown before him giggled again, and opened his arms in a welcoming gesture, his eyes radiating pure insanity.

"C'mon, Robbie! Don't you wanna give your ole' Uncle Jay a hug? It's been forever since I've last seen you!" the Joker exclaimed, stretching his arms even farther to exaggerate his point.

Robin, however, slipped into 'Batman Mode'. A scowl adorning his features, his shock completely gone and his defensive stance became stronger. Robin gave the Joker his best Bat-glare. This only seemed to make his smile wider, to the birds disgust.

"Joker." he spat, making sure to put as much venom in his tone as possible. "What's your game here?" the clowns smile faltered, and he lowered his arms to rest at his sides.

"I'm dissapointed, Bird Boy. Didn't the big, bad bat teach you anything about manners?"

"Not when it comes to psychopaths. Now answer the question!" Robin instantly retorted, earning another ear splitting grin from the green haired man. He let out a hearty chuckle, one that seemed to actually contain a sick sense of mirth.

"Why would there be a game? Can't we just chat, Uncle to Nephew? Especially now that we don't have to worry about that pesky flying rodent!" Robin narrowed his eyes, and became even more tense as the Joker took a step forward.

"What are you talking about?" the bird asked warily, watching intently as the Joker reached inside of his robe. He seemed to grab something with his left hand, and pulled it out. Robin tensed.

It was a large buck knife, with small feathers hanging off of the red, black, and yellow hilt. Robin's blood ran cold as he the fire situation finally sunk in.

He was off of his game still, the strong pain in his head from earlier still present, albeit not as strong.

He wasn't wearing his uniform, and had no weapons he could defend himself with besides brute strength and brains, the former the clown outmatching him with.

And he was alone. Even on a good day, Robin had a very small chance of defeating the Joker without Batman's help. And that was when the clown made an unscheduled appearance, when he wasn't supposed to be at the scene at all.

For once, he wished he just obeyed Bruce's order and stayed in the Manor that night.

Yet, even with these odds stacked against him, Robin found that he was still hopeful. Maybe he couldn't beat the Joker, but there was always the small chance that the mad-man would underestimate him, as so many people before had done.

Then the Joker would be wishing he had simply estimated him.

When the clown took one more step forward, the bird found himself holding his ground, his eyes filled with determination and a sliver of hope that he might survive this.

Or, at the very least, have a quick death.

"Well, I was pretty sad to learn that Batman didn't bring his little bird along when I escaped Arkham. After all, it had been quite a while since I had last seen you," he began, his bright red, smudged lips curling into a vicious smirk. "So imagine how excited I was when I woke up to your beautiful voice singing through the halls. That man said that someone else might be coming over, but he didn't tell me who. Obviously, now I know, and I couldn't be happier!"

In a movement that was fast enough to rival the flash, the Joker was in front of him, holding the knife to his neck. Robin's eyes widened, but he found himself frozen to the spot as the knife dug just deep enough to let out a trickle of blood.

"Now, how about we play a game, hm?" he whispered in a scratchy voice, leaning in close. Robin took a step back on instinct, and the Joker moved fast.

Grabbing the teen's left arm with his unoccupied hand, he wrenched Robin to the side a pinned him to the wall beside the door, which he promptly slammed closed. His right arm was now placed at the ebony's throat, pressing just hard enough to make it an effort to breath. The knife came up to the side of his face, the tip lightly gliding from the left corner of his mouth to the edge of his eye.

"What kind of game would you suggest, little bird?" his voice was even quieter now, and Robin winced as the grotesque breath reached his nose.

The blunt side of the blade was now stroking his left cheek, with Robin's fear now more pronounced. Yet, when had fear ever stopped him from enraging the bed guys who have him cornered?

"Yeah, how about the game called 'Brush Your Teeth Every Once and a While'. " the ebony managed to squeeze out, albeit quietly with his lack of oxygen.

A brief moment of rage filled the Joker's eyes, his smile faltering. But it disappeared with a throaty chuckle.

"I've always liked you better than Batsy. You've got more personality, and not to mention a way better fashion sense." he blurted out randomly, now tracing little shapes into Robin's flesh without actually cutting.

"But I have to admit, " he continued, making an invisible smile into his cheek. "When you first came around, I hated you. You took all of Batman's attention away from me." the blade pierced his skin lightly now, and he traced a light smile into his cheek, blood beginning to appear.

Robin winced slightly at the light pain, but otherwise said nothing.

"Then I realized; you were the perfect opportunity. I could get the Bats attention and get you out of the picture for good. Kill two birds with one stone, per say."

The Joker stopped his hand, and moved the blade off of Robin's skin.

The ebony let out an internal sigh of relief of having the cool metal away from his face, but immidiately felt repulsed as the clown brought the knife to his mouth.

The Joker flicked his young out toward the blade, seeming to find immense pleasure in tasting the small amount of the teen's blood in his mouth. He closed his eyes and gave a content sigh, while Robin fought down the bile threatening to rise into his mouth.

Then the bright green eyes snapped back open, and his smile grew when wider and he leaned in towards Robin's ear.

"How about we play a game called 'Cry-and-Scream'? Doesn't that sound fun?" the way he whispered it sent a shiver down Robin's spine, and the laugh that erupted near his ear made it ten times worse.

With a sense of growing dread, Robin knew one thing for certain as the Joker raised the knife once more.

He was completely and totally screwed.

 **Yep! That's where I'm ending this book!**

 **Okay, so I'm not going to be using the Joker from Young Justice because, frankly, he was just…disappointing on the show. So I'll be using a more Mark Hamill/Heath Ledger Joker, only slightly 'lighter', but still equally as creepy. (That's what I'm going for, at least)**

 **So, what's going to happen to Robin? Where is he and what happened to his uniform? Why is the Joker there, and what is he up to? What exactly is Batman, the Justice League, and the Team doing? Do they even know what's happening?**

 **All great questions, really, but all (or at least some) will get answered in the sequel. Which has yet to be named.**

 **See Ya in the next book, and hope you enjoyed the conclusion of 'How to Lose a Bird'!**

 **~Atatami**


	18. Sequel

**The sequel of 'To Lose a Bird's is up, and it is called 'Of Birds and Jokers'. Hope you all check out the sequel and enjoy!**

 **~Atatami**


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